Sascha Vaughn

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an all-male ballet company, will perform in Meany Hall May 16-18.

Dance and drama talents combine for the annual MFA Dance Concert, which leads a busy week of UW arts events. The week also features exhibits, visiting performers and the 50^th annual Theodore Roethke Poetry Reading.

Also, the Ethnomusicology Program winds up its own half-century celebration with a visiting artists concert and the Henry Art Gallery offers the alluringly titled presentation “Off with the Corset!”

All this, and dudes who look like ladies in Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, described by the New York Times as “pancaked, bewigged ladies” trying and failing “mightily — to sustain poses, falling on their rumps, showboating and knocking into one another.”

Roethke Memorial Poetry Reading: Kay Ryan, 8 p.m., May 16. This 50^th annual Roethke reading will be in 130 Kane Hall, the Roethke Auditorium. Ryan has written several poetry collections, including “The Best of It: New and Selected Poems,” which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Her poems and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Yale Review and many other journals and anthologies. Free. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Tim Summers

The 2013 MFA Dance Concert will be through May 19 in the Meany Studio Theater.

MFA Dance Concert 2013, 7:30 p.m., through May 19. The UW Dance Program’s annual event includes choreography by seven master’s of fine arts candidates, in collaboration with masters students from the School of Drama and professional artists from the community. Advanced undergraduate dancers perform. In the Meany Studio Theater. Learn more online. Tickets are $10-$16, $2 more if purchased at the door. 206-543-4880.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, 8 p.m., May 16-18. This popular all-male professional dance troupe performs the full range of the ballet and modern dance repertoire, but for laughs. Advance notes state, “The fact that men dance all the parts — heavy bodies delicately balancing on toes as swans, sylphs, water sprites, romantic princesses or angst-ridden Victorian ladies — enhances, rather than mocks, the spirit of dance as an art form.” In Meany Hall. Tickets are $51-$55 ($20 for students). Presented by the UW World Series. 206-543-4880.

Symposium: “The Mechanics of Beauty: A Question of Representation,” 10 a.m.-8 p.m., May 17. This year’s art history symposium theme springs from a Henry Art Gallery exhibition and carries it to other media and perspectives. There will be morning and afternoon sessions at the gallery, each with multiple presentations. Reception 6-8 p.m. in Molly’s Café. Free and open to the public.

The Brink Bash, 6-9 p.m., May 17. The Henry Art Gallery celebrates the six finalists for its 2013 Brink Award at the Hilliard’s Beer Taproom, 1550 NW 49^th St., Seattle. The winner will be announced on June 7. Tickets are $15.

Voice Division Recital, 7:30 p.m., May 20. UW voice students perform their spring quarter recital, including songs and arias by Handel, Mozart, Bernstein, Brahms, Schubert, Donizetti, Wolf, Debussy and others. Tickets are $5, cash or check at the door. Brechemin Auditorium. 206-685-8384.

Srivani Jade will perform in Meany Hall on May 21.

Ethnomusicology visiting artists recital, 7:30 p.m., May 21. The Ethnomusicology program wraps up its 50^th anniversary celebration with this concert in Meany Hall featuring performances by Srivani Jade, a Hindustani singer who specializes in the North Indian classical form of Khayal; and Thione Diope, a percussionist from Senegal, West Africa. Jade will be accompanied by Aarshin Karande (harmonium), Ravi Albright (tabla) and Priya Bondre (tanpura). Tickets are $20 ($12 for students). 206-543-4880.

Henry Art Gallery, “Off with the Corset!” 7-8:30 p.m., May 23. One of the museum’s periodic “Collection in Focus” events, a presentation by art history doctoral candidate Kimberly Hereford, who will discuss Victorian-era aesthetic dress using garments and historic photographs from the Henry’s collections. At the Henry’s Reed Collection Study Center. Free but RSVP is requested.

School of Art graduation exhibits:

• Several School of Art students will participate in the 2013 Undergraduate Research Symposium, 11 a.m.-5:45 p.m. May 17, in Mary Gates Hall. Free and open to the public.
• Painting and drawing students receiving master’s of fine arts degrees exhibit work in the Sand Point Gallery May 21-25. Reception 6-8 p.m., May 20.
• Three Dimensional Forum master’s of fine arts student Lacy Draper exhibits at the Ceramic and Metal Arts Building May 21-25. Reception 6 p.m., May 21.

• Coming next week: Tennessee Williams one-act plays from the School of Drama.

Tim Summers

The 2013 MFA Dance Concert will be May 15-19 in the Meany Studio Theater.

The arts are everywhere you look on campus this week. There’s experimental music, a string quartet, photos about food, a health-minded art walk, student exhibits and the combined talents of the Dance Program and School of Drama present the annual MFA Dance Concert.

Also, the English department welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Kay Ryan for the 50th annual Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Reading. Over the years, this series has featured such greats as Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Penn Warren, Carolyn Kizer, Gary Snyder, W.S. Merwin, Seamus Heaney and Archibald MacLeish, plus the UW’s own Heather McHugh and Colleen McElroy. As one staff member aptly put it, “I’m sure Roethke’s ghost is grinning somewhere.”

“Dreamlogs: Artists’ Books by Genie Shenk,” through Sept. 27. Shenk records her dreams in visual form, from circular prints and collaged paper to adaptations of illustrations found in antique atlases and dictionaries. This exhibit, highlights Shenk’s extensive career. Allen Library south basement and north first floor bacony.

Photography: “Foodland Security,” through June 3. An exhibit by Ottawa-based photographer Barry Pottle about the challenge of Inuit in urban settings gaining access to “country food,” or food from the land. In the Allen Library’s north lobby. Presented by the Jackson School’s Canadian Studies Center.

Music of Today, 7:30 p.m., May 9. An evening of improvised experimental music in Meany Hall by School of Music faculty members Luke Bergman (bass), Richard Karpen (piano), Juan Pampin (electronics) and Cuong Vu (trumpet), with special guests Matt Ingalls (clarinet) and Greg Sinibaldi (saxophone). Presented by the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media. Tickets are $20 ($12 for students and seniors). 206-543-4880.

Joanne DePue

The Oceana Quartet will perform May 11 in Brechemin Auditorium.

Oceana Quartet, 7:30 p.m., May 11. Members of the School of Music’s scholarship string quartet for 2012-13 are Emily Choi and Rochelle Nguyen (violins), Romaric Pokorny (viola) and Sonja Myklebust (cello). The quartet will perform works by Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Greg Sinibaldi, UW graduate student in jazz studies. Tickets are $5, cash or check at the door. 206-543-4880.

Faculty Recital: Carole Terry, organ, 2 p.m., May 12. The UW organ professor will perform works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Sweelinck, Franck, and Widor in a concert on the Flentrop Organ at St. Mark’s Cathedral, 1245 10^th Avenue E., in Seattle. The Flentrop Organ, as perhaps you know, contains 3,944 pipes ranging in size from less than 1 inch to 32 feet.Tickets are $15, cash or check at the door.

Hall Health Art Walk, 5:30-7 p.m., May 13. A public art walk showing 100-some works by UW students, alumni, faculty and staff. Some artists will be on hand to discuss  their work. “It’s much more than just making our newly remodeled building look nice,” said Mark Shaw, director of health promotion. “It has been shown that art in a clinic can promote patient healing.” In fact, he’ll speak on that subject at 6 p.m. in the center’s ground floor conference room. To learn more, contact Shaw at 206-616-8476 or mshaw@uw.edu.

• Hall Health call for art: Any size and media of work by UW students or employees will be considered with a limit of two digital submissions per artist to hhpccweb@uw.edu by June 14. $100 cash prizes for the top three juried works, to be hung in the 2013-14 school year.

Art by Jacob Johns, May 13 – July 12. Paintings, drawings and sculptures by Johns, a Native American artist, will be exhibited in the first floor gallery at the School of Social Work. There will be a reception from 12:30 to 2 p.m. May 15, in the gallery. Both show and reception are open to the public.

School of Art graduation exhibits, through May 23.

• Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media students receiving bachelor of fine arts degrees exhibit in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery May 14-23. Reception 4-7 p.m., May 14.
• Three Dimensional Forum master’s of fine arts student Stephanie Klausing exhibit at the Ceramic and Metal Arts Building May 14-18. Reception 6 p.m., May 14.
• Several School of Art students will participate in the 2013 Undergraduate Research Symposium, 11 a.m.-5:45 p.m. May 17, in Mary Gates Hall. Free and open to the public.

MFA Dance Concert 2013, 7:30 p.m., May 15-19. The UW Dance Program’s annual event, in the Meany Studio Theater with choreography by seven master’s of fine arts candidates, in collaboration with masters students from the School of Drama and professional artists from the community. Advanced undergraduate dancers peform. Learn more online. Tickets are $10-$16, $2 more if purchased at the door. 206-543-4880.

Kay Ryan

Roethke Memorial Poetry Reading: Kay Ryan, 8 p.m., May 16. This 50^th annual Roethke reading will be in 130 Kane Hall, the Roethke Auditorium. Ryan has written several poetry collections, including “The Best of It: New and Selected Poems,” which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Her poems and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Yale Review and many other journals and anthologies. Yale Review editor J.D. McClatchy called her poems “compact, exhilarating affairs” and Ryan “an anomaly in today’s literary culture: as intense and elliptical as Dickinson, as buoyant and rueful as Frost.” Free. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Herbert Blau

Blau’s six-decade theater and academic career was extraordinary for a Brooklyn-born plumber’s son who studied engineering as an undergraduate and attended not a single play while growing up.

He earned both a master’s degree in speech and drama and a doctorate in English and American literature from Stanford University. Though a longtime professional theater practitioner, Blau was ambivalent at best about academic theater departments.

A stage experimenter, Blau co-founded and co-directed the Actor’s Workshop of San Francisco from 1952 until 1965 with partner Julius Irving, overseeing a famous production of Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” at California’s San Quentin State Prison.

He co-directed the Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center in New York until 1967. After a brief stint as provost of the then-new California Institute for the Arts, Blau founded another experimental theater group called Kraken, borrowing the name from a letter Herman Melville wrote to Nathanial Hawthorne.

At the UW, Blau was the Byron W. and Alice L. Lockwood Professor of the Humanities and professor emeritus of English and comparative literature, with an adjunct appointment in the School of Drama.

Blau was the author of dozens of articles and many books, notable among them being “The Impossible Theater: A Manifesto” in 1964, and “As If: An Autobiography (Volume 1),” in 2011.

He was annoyed by productions that played “Godot” for laughs, and preferred it when the audience didn’t know what to expect.

Interviewed by A&S Perspectives in 2011, Blau said, “I often say to my students, ‘When I know what I think, I couldn’t care less. It’s when I don’t know what I think, when I’m utterly baffled, that I really like it, because that’s when I have to keep thinking. It keeps the mind going.”

A memorial is being planned, possibly for June 22. Memorial contributions may be made to the Joseph and Yetta Blau Fund for Graduate Fellowships at the UW.

• Listen to a Katz Lecture Blau gave for the Simpson Center in 2004.
• Read Blau’s obituary in The New York Times.

The UW team’s exploits in eight-oar rowing are the stirring centerpiece of “The Boys in the Boat,” a new book (to be published June 4) that’s equal parts sports saga and history.

Author Daniel James Brown largely tells the story through the eyes of Joe Rantz, a Western Washington neighbor who was dying of congestive heart failure when he related the amazing tale to Brown.

In just getting to the UW, Rantz had to overcome obstacles in life – both physical and emotional – that few could even imagine, let alone survive. At the age of 15, at the dawn of the Great Depression, he stood alone in the rain and watched his father, stepmother and younger siblings drive away, abandoning their farm – and him – on the Olympic Peninsula.

For Rantz, rowing was yet another challenge, but one that let him find a place in the world that was all his.

The story of how he came together with eight other students – Gordon Adam, Chuck Day, Donald Hume, George “Shorty” Hunt, Jim “Stub” McMillan, Roger Morris, John White Jr. and coxswain Robert Moch – reflects a deep camaraderie, born of strong trust and determination.

University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, UWC0599

This photo from the 1936 Olympic Games shows the University of Washington eight-oar boat (top) crossing the finish line just ahead of second-place Italy and third-place Germany.

Brown draws on the boys’ diaries, scrapbooks, journals, photographs and personal memories to weave the tale of how these sons of farmers, loggers, fishermen and shipyard workers found themselves rowing together. They were no strangers to hard physical labor themselves – a few of them, including Rantz, spent summer weeks helping build the mammoth Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in eastern Washington.

During the school year, led by stoic coach Al Ulbrickson, they trained for long hours on Lake Washington in a shell dubbed “Husky Clipper,” designed and built by the legendary George Pocock.

Vince Stricherz

The Husky Clipper, which the UW eight-oar team rowed to the 1936 national championship and Olympic gold medal, hangs in the Conibear Shellhouse on Lake Washington.

In the dramatic events of 1936, the team faced down archrival California and formidable challengers such as Cornell, Navy and Penn to claim the national title on the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Two weeks later the team rowed to victory over Cal, Penn and the New York Athletic Club to secure the Olympic berth. Or so it seemed.

But it turned out that the U.S. Olympic Committee could not afford to pay for the team’s trip to Germany and demanded that the UW crew raise $5,000 in a week or else the second-place Penn team would go to the Olympics. Within two days the folks back home had raised the cash to truly lock down the Olympic berth.

Brown seamlessly sets the events in the historic context of the people and places of the Depression and the rise of the Third Reich. There are samples of the sometimes-tense relationship between Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, and renowned German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, who went to great lengths to document the Olympic Games as a Nazi showcase.

Riefenstahl captured exciting footage as the Husky Clipper, in the far outside lane, came from behind to defeat Italy and Germany – barely five years before the United States would be at war with those two nations.

German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl recorded the eight-oar race in which the UW team won the Olympic gold medal. It begins at about 1:10 of this video, following the four-oar competition.

The taut narrative in the book’s last 50 pages describes the tension of the eight-oar gold medal race, yet another example of unexpected hardship for the UW team to overcome.

The book, which has been likened to “Seabiscuit” and “Chariots of Fire,” will be launched officially at 6:30 p.m. June 4 at University Book Store, 4326 University Way. The Weinstein Co. has also begun development of a script for a film adaptation.

           ###

Jones Sanchez

A passer-by beholds “Sanctum” as it beholds him. The work will remain at the Henry Art Gallery until November 2015.

You could walk by the new work of art at the Henry Art Gallery without really noticing it — but it may notice you. “Sanctum” by James Coupe and Juan Pampin leads a busy week in UW arts events as it begins a two-year-plus run. The piece uses Facebook information given with permission to challenge our ideas of privacy and public spaces.

Also, faculty from the Center for Digital and Experimental Media offer an evening of improvised music, the UW World Series brings visitors to campus and the School of Music holds a three-day celebration of the life and work of Charles Ives.

Painting and Drawing BFA Show, April 30 – May 10. A graduation exhibit for students receiving Bachelor of Fine Art degrees from the Painting and Drawing Program, in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery. Gallery hours are normally noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

Lecture-recital, Stuart Isacoff: “The American Piano,” 7:30 p.m., May 2. Isacoff, a concert pianist, tells the story of the piano as it unfolded both in Europe and in a young America. In Brechemin Auditorium. Tickets are $15, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

“A Festival of Ives,” School of Music, May 6-8. A three-day series of events honoring the life and music of Charles Ives with performances, lecture, talks and a master class, all open to the public. Advance notes state Ives has been called “a musical genius, an eccentric dreamer, the father of American music, a great Yankee maverick, fiercely democratic and a difficult crank,” inspiring musicians, listeners and scholars more than a half-century after his death. Ticket prices vary; see schedule online. Highlights include:

• Orchestral arrangements of Ives songs, as well as music by Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber and Jean Sibelius, by the UW Symphony with guest vocalist William Sharp, 7:30 p.m., May 6, in Meany Hall.
• Recital by pianist Christina Valdés with faculty artists Melia Watras (viola) and Donna Shin (flute) and readings from essays by Ives and others he inspired, 7:30 p.m., May 7, in Brechemin Auditorium.
• Concert: Songs and Chamber Music. A concert in two parts with songs by Ives and commentary, 7:30 p.m., May 8, in Brechemin Auditorium.

“Sanctum,” May 4 – Nov. 4, 2015. A new public art work installed on the façade of the Henry Art Gallery by James Coupe and Juan Pampin, associate professors in the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media. The two write, “As people approach, they are tracked, analyzed and recorded by surveillance cameras programmed to identify people according to their age and gender. As they get closer, the voices become clearer, telling a story composed from demographically-appropriate Facebook status updates.

“In an era of status updates, Tweets and check-ins, the geography of public, shared spaces needs to be reconsidered, along with our expectations of privacy in them. … ‘Sanctum’ seeks to investigate the narrative potential of social media while raising important and provocative questions about the conflicting imperatives emerging in our culture as we promote and embrace ever-more-intrusive electronic media, while still cherishing traditional notions of privacy.”

Coupe and Pampin invite people to donate their Facebook status updates to the work. Learn more and watch a video at the Sanctum website.

Three-D Forum student exhibit, May 7 – 11. Graduation exhibition by Master of Fine Arts student Meg Hartwig in the Ceramic Arts Building. Gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and Saturday by appointment. Reception 6 p.m. May 7.

Film: “The Guardian of the Past,” 7 p.m., May 7. A documentary by Polish director Malgorzata Potocka telling the story of Borys Voznytsky, director of the Lviv National Art Gallery, who fought to preserve thousands of sacred art pieces hidden at a Ukranian monastery. The film will be shown in Room 120 of the Communications Building and introduced by Marek Wieczorek, UW associate professor of art history, with a reception to follow. Learn more online.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, 7:30 p.m., May 7. One of 11 resident arts organizations at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, this group draws more people to chamber music than any other organization of its kind. Famed cellist David Finckel of the Emerson String Quartet and pianist Wu Han are the group’s artistic directors.Tickets are $32-$38 with up to two free youth tickets with the purchase of a regular price ticket. Presented by the UW World Series.

Tara McMullen

Jon Kimura Parker

Pianist Jon Kimura Parker, 7:30 p.m., May 8. Parker, among today’s most sought-after pianists, has performed for Queen Elizabeth II and the prime ministers of Canada and Japan. This program in Meany Hall will feature his own transcription of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.” Tickets are $40-$44 ($20 for students) with up to two free youth tickets with the purchase of a regular price ticket. Presented by the UW World Series. 206-543-4880.

Exhibit: “Artist’s Choice,” May 9 – June 8. School of Art staff member Kim Van Someren will join alumni in this show celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum Gallery, 1220 Third Ave. Reception is 5-7 p.m., May 9. 206-343-1101.

Music of Today: Digital Arts and Experimental Media, 7:30 p.m., May 9. An evening of improvised experimental music by School of Music faculty members Luke Bergman (bass), Richard Karpen (piano), Juan Pampin (electronics), and Cuong Vu (trumpet), with special guests Matt Ingalls (clarinet) and Greg Sinibaldi (saxophone). Tickets $10-$15, 206-543-4880.

Joanne DePue

The UW Wind Ensemble will perform with the UW Symphonic Band April 29 in Meany Hall.

There’s a lot to see and hear on campus as the weather warms up to resemble the season. Bachelor of Fine Arts students exhibit their art, School of Music students play jazz with famous guests and the Burke invites all for a celebration of Salish Coast art.

Also, the School of Music’s Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band unite for an evening of music featuring a tuba concerto, of course.

Improvised Music Project’s IMPfest V, through April 27. This annual student-organized festival pairs local musicians with some of the world’s top performers in a series of concerts at the School of Music and the Chapel Performance Space in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. Details, schedule online.

Play: “Once Upon a Time 6X in the West,” 7:30 p.m., through April 28.  Director Jeffrey Fracé views The Western through a series of theatrical lenses iconic in their own right, all created by the ensemble of actors. The play is divided into six sections, each devoted to a theater director. Presented by the School of Drama in the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse. 2 p.m. matinee April 28. Tickets are $10-$20.

Ethnomusicology Ensemble Concert, 7:30 p.m., April 26. A concert by members of the Ethnomusicology Students Association in Brechemin Auditorium. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Armstrong Creative

“First Woman,” by Luke Marston. Salish Coast art will be featured April 27 and 28 at the Burke Museum.

At the Burke: Salish Coast art is featured 11 a.m.-3 p.m. April 27-28. Burke Trivia Night is 8 p.m. May 2, at the College Inn Pub. Admission is free the first Thursday of each month at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.

Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, “Constructions,” 7:30 p.m., April 29. The two groups perform works by Alan Hovhaness, Percy Grainger, Vincent Persichetti and others. Seattle Symphony principal tuba and School of Music faculty artist Christopher Olka joins the Wind Ensemble for Anthony Plog’s tuba concerto, “Three Miniatures.” In Meany Hall. Tickets $10-$15. 206-543-4880.

Painting and Drawing BFA Show, April 30 – May 10. A graduation exhibit for students receiving Bachelor of Fine Art degrees from the Painting and Drawing Program, in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery. Reception 4-8 p.m. April 30, in the gallery. Gallery hours are normally noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

Stuart Isacoff

Lecture-recital, Stuart Isacoff: “The American Piano,” 7:30 p.m., May 2. Isacoff, a concert pianist, tells the story of the piano as it unfolded both in Europe and in a young America. Musical examples will include the first extant pieces written for the piano as well as music by C.P.E. Bach, Beethoven, Jerry Lee Lewis, Couperin, Ravel, Debussy, Bill Evans, Duke Ellington, Prokofiev, Chopin, Gershwin and others. In Brechemin Auditorium. Tickets are $15, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

• Coming next week: Juan Pampin, James Coupe and “Sanctum” at the Henry Art Gallery.

Q: What is the concept behind the book?

A: An examination of ordinary families and the individuals that comprise them may provide the fullest and most constructive understanding of a given historical period. This, I think, is the main idea behind my book.

For instance, what better example can you have in trying to understand the economic and social underpinnings of Mexican immigration to the United States than my uncle Miguel arriving in Tucson, Ariz., a day after crossing the border on foot in 1922, and within hours being offered a job by an American agent for the Southern Pacific Railroad to do work in northern California?

And when my mother and grandmother crossed the border at Nogales, Ariz., a few weeks later, they too were offered a job inside of an hour or so.  My mother wrote in her memoirs, “trucks were lined up waiting for us — to pick cotton.”

Here is a clear example of the “pulling” factors often described as the mechanisms that trigger migration across international borders. What is the obvious pulling factor here? The answer is cheap labor to fuel economic development in the American West. It’s been going on ever since.

Q: How did you turn decades of family memories into this book? 

A: My book is based on long interviews I recorded of my old folks decades ago, all of them now deceased. And so, as they spoke, sitting in their favorite chair or at the kitchen table, they culled their own memories of what was most important.

In terms of the process itself, I transcribed and translated from rustic Spanish to plain American English.  It was hard work but completing the task was heartwarming and personally rewarding.

Q: You write that the chapters about “putting down roots” were the most challenging as you sought to understand your family’s evolution after settling in San Fernando, Calif. Why was this the case and how did you resolve the challenge?

A: The memories that my old folks shared with me involved the days of migration itself, leaving their home in Mexico and traveling over hill and vale with a knapsack on their back, literally, looking for new communities and benefactors on the road north. After I boiled down my text I came to realize that their journey stood out as an amazing and worthwhile experience no matter how trying it might have been — one they would never repeat.  For this reason I think it became a golden memory for them, though a costly experience.

The story about their settling down in my hometown of San Fernando, getting married, having children, facing ever greater challenges because of the growing family, less money to go around, the Great Depression coming on, wrestling with the new social mores and cultural ways — these memories were not so golden.  They were stressful and seemingly never-ending, and so I think my old folks seem to have shut them out.

As a consequence, I had to reconstruct them with the aid of my siblings who remembered far more than I did — hurtful things, all human experiences, of course — but I had to give these recollections a literary body. It wasn’t easy because I had to re-live much of what I had mentally put into a closet myself, visualizing our growing up from our parents’ perspective. Doing so was cathartic for me and for those of my siblings who survived to read my pages — they told me this much.

Q: You write that “taking up life in a completely different land is akin to reforging one’s personality or one’s sense of self … and demands a process that is highly complex in itself.” Would you tell a bit about that process?

A. The immigration experience is indeed underappreciated by those of us who don’t immigrate. My grandmother’s world, for example, was marked by the traditional order of late-1800s Mexico where everything in life was measured by how you dressed, the color of your skin, the Spanish inflection in your voice, how devoted you were to Catholicism, and much more — all this defined her 100 percent.  In 1930s southern California these values didn’t count as much and yet she couldn’t set them aside like you take off your coat.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from this book?

A: What I hope my readers take away is that Mexican/Latino immigrants attracted to America by giant economic “magnets,” so to speak, then as now, go through a transformational experience when they leave their world and try to fit into ours; that the complexity of it depends on many factors.

We, their children, the new Americans, do not always appreciate this — a sad loss in my view. I hope my own descendants avoid this blankness.

• Gil published “We Became Mexican American” through Xlibris in late 2012.

While supplies last, there’s free coffee and doughnuts from Top Pot Doughnuts at 6 a.m., a HuskyFest T-shirt giveaway at 11:30 a.m. and free ice cream from Cupcake Royale at 12:30 p.m.

KEXP Radio will broadcast live starting at 6 a.m. and has lined up six bands from the Puget Sound area for performances throughout the day, starting at 7:30 a.m. with Jon Russell, Damien Jurado and Tomo Nakayama.

HuskyFest offers additional activities in Red Square and several venues across campus all day.

Highlights of the kick-off for Earth Day include talks by local people tackling major environmental challenges in the greater Seattle community and a “trashion show,” according to Max Sugarman, UW Earth Day coordinator and member of the UW Earth Club that collaboratin with the Office of Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability on this year’s events.

U of Washington

Participants in the 2012 trashion show parade their creations.

Anne Mosness, a fishing boat captain and adviser to the Go Wild Campaign, and James Rasmussen, a member of the Duwamish Tribe and coordinator of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, will speak in Red Square at noon following opening remarks by Julia Parrish, associate dean of the College of the Environment.

Outfits in the trashion show at 2:15 p.m. are made with materials from personal trash and commercial dumpsters, last year including such things as University Bookstore bags and aluminum cans. KING TV’s New Day Northwest previewed this year’s show.

Among other activities Friday there will be more than 35 booths from vendors and campus groups on Red Square, the awarding of the annual Husky Green Awards and a chance to volunteer to plant, weed and mulch at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture and remove invasive species from the nearby Union Bay Natural Area. Work party registration is at 12:30 p.m.

A week of Earth Day activities follow Friday’s kick-off. Sugarman said some highlights are:

• A restoration event at McCarty Hall with the Society for Ecological Restoration and the Campus Sustainability Fund on Monday, April 22, the traditional Earth Day.
• A trash-in with UW Recycling and UW Earth Club, Wednesday, April 24.
• A climate change speaker panel (Facebook RSVP) hosted by the Student Association for Green Environments, Thursday, April 25.

Adam Davis

Robin McCabe, left, and Rachelle McCabe will perform together April 24 in Meany Hall.

This week, the School of Drama offers an ensemble-created Western, School of Music professor Robin McCabe and sister Rachelle McCabe perform solo and duo works for piano, and jazzman Bill Frisell visits for the fifth-annual IMPfest. All this, plus Grammy-winner Lila Downs comes to Meany Hall. Maybe T.S. Eliot had it wrong and April is really the coolest month.

Modern Music Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., April 18. The ensemble, also known as Inverted Space, performs a program of works by Elliott Carter, Tristan Murail, Giacinto Scelsi and Arnold Schoenberg. Part of the Music of Today series, in Meany Hall. Tickets are $12-$20. 206-543-4880.

Play: “Once Upon a Time 6X in the West,” 7:30 p.m., through April 28.  Director Jeffrey Fracé views The Western through a series of theatrical lenses iconic in their own right, all created by the ensemble of actors. The play is divided into six sections, each devoted to a theater director. Advance notes say, “The ensemble delves below the surface of every ‘style’ to uncover the director’s process.” Presented by the School of Drama in the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse. 2 p.m. matinees April 21 and 28. Tickets are $10-$20.

Symposium – Global Health and the Arts, noon-6 p.m., April 20. The final event of Global Health Week, exploring the intersection of global health and the arts – dance, photography, cinema, theater and music. Learn more online and read a UW Today article about the event, held in the auditorium of the William H. Foege Genome Science Building.

Lila Downs will perform in Meany Hall on April 20.

Lila Downs, 8 p.m., April 20. Downs will bring her dramatic and unique reinventions of traditional Mexican music and original compositions fused with blues, jazz, soul and African roots to Meany Hall. She won a 2013 Grammy Award for her album “Pecados y Milagros,” which The New York Times called “sleek modern Mexican pop with a thrilling, chameleonic voice at its center.” Tickets are $34-$38, $20 for students. A pre-show conversation begins at 7:10 p.m. Presented by the UW World Series.

Lecture: Sculptor Dan Webb, 6 p.m., April 23. A free presentation in the Ceramic Arts Building by a visiting sculptor. Learn more about Webb and his work at his website.

Faculty recital: Robin McCabe with Rachelle McCabe, 7:30 p.m., April 24. The UW professor of piano joins her sister, head of the piano program at Oregon State University, in an evening of solo and duo pieces for piano in Meany Hall that will feature works by Chopin, Debussy, Ravel and Rachmaninoff. Tickets are $20, $12 for students. 206-543-4880.

Improvised Music Project’s IMPfest V, April 24-27. An annual student-organized festival that pairs local musicians with some of the world’s top performers in a series of concerts at the School of Music and the Chapel Performance Space in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. This year will feature performances by guitarist Bill Frisell with drummer Ted Poor; Cuong Vu, UW associate professor of jazz studies, with students; and Grammy-winning bassist Eric Revis together with Poor, Vu and  students. Poor and Frisell also will conduct workshops with students on April 24 and 25 that are open to the public. Find more details and a complete schedule online.

David Brody

David Brody in concert, 7 p.m., April 25. Brody, a UW art professor, is also a lifelong singer-songwriter who has performed with such talents as Pete Seeger, Jay Ungar and Vassar Clements and on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” He will perform at Soulfood Books and Café, 15748 Redmond Way in Redmond. Tickets are $10, $5 for students. Learn more about Brody’s music at his website.

• Next week: The UW Wind Ensemble and symphonic bands, together again.

Monica Gonzalez.

Bill Lucia films Sylvia Kowalski as the two prepare for the School of Drama’s innovative Western, “Once Upon a Time 6X in The West.”

There’s a lot to see on campus just now, from art exhibits to lectures and several events from the UW School of Music and UW World Series. Also, the School of Drama wrangles the Western genre and comes up with a six-part, ensemble-created show.

Lecture: Artist Buster Simpson, 6:30 p.m., April 11. The Seattle artist discusses his work in Room 003 of the Art Building. Free, held in conjunction with Art 590, taught by Scott Lawrimore, a deputy director of the Frye Art Museum.

Global Health and the Arts Community Café, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., April 15. Join an informal gathering in the Parnassus Café associated with the April 20 Global Health and the Arts Symposium. Both events are free and open to anyone with an interest in the arts and global health. The event will include performances and conversation.

Interdisciplinary Visual Arts exhibit, April 16-26. A graduation exhibition in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery for honors students receiving Bachelor of Art degrees from the Interdisciplinary Visual Arts Program and others who have graduated during the year. Gallery hours are normally noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Reception 4-7 p.m., April 16.

Joanne DePue

Craig Sheppard will play pieces by Claude Debussy on April 16 in Meany Hall.

Faculty Recital: Sheppard plays Debussy, 7:30 p.m., April 16. Craig Sheppard, professor of piano, celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Claude Debussy with a performance of “Estampes,” “Images, Books I and II,” and the Twelve Etudes in an evening of music titled “Reflections in the Water.” In Meany Hall. Tickets are $12-$20. 206-543-4880.

Play: “Once Upon a Time 6X in the West,” 7:30 p.m., April 17-28. Director Jeffrey Fracé views The Western through a series of theatrical lenses iconic in their own right, all created by the ensemble of actors. The play is divided into six sections, each devoted to a theater director. Advance notes say, “The ensemble delves below the surface of every ‘style’ to uncover the director’s process.” Presented by the School of Drama in the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse. 2 p.m. matinees April 21 and 28. Tickets are $10-$20.

Saxophone Night, 7:30 p.m., April 17. Students of Michael Brockman perform in ensembles and as soloists, presenting classical works from the French conservatory tradition, modern works for saxophone, and jazz. In Brechemin Auditorium. Tickets $5, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

Marco Borggreve

The Tokyo String Quartet will play Meany Hall on April 17.

Tokyo String Quartet, 7:30 p.m., April 17. Regarded as one of the supreme chamber ensembles of the world, this group has built a comprehensive catalog of critically-acclaimed recordings. This will be the quartet’s final UW performance, as two members are retiring. Meany Hall. Tickets are $34-$38 ($20 for students). Purchase online, by phone at 206-543-4880 or at the UW Arts Ticket Office. Presented by the UW World Series, which offers up to two free youth tickets with the purchase of any regular price ticket.

Music of Today: Modern Music Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., April 18. This School of Music student ensemble — also known as Inverted Space — performs a program of works by Elliott Carter, Tristan Murail, Giacinto Scelsi and Arnold Schoenberg in Meany Hall. Tickets $12-$20. 206-543-4880.

Next week: A musical journey with Grammy-winner Lila Downs.

Phil Borges

Tibet Portrait by photographer Phil Borges, whose work will be shown during UW Global Health Week.

A Community Cafe will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Monday, April 15 in Parnassus Café. The event  will feature ACT Theatre performances, including a reading from “Middletown.” The play touches on themes of mental health and depression.

A visual arts exhibit will showcase work from several local artists. Among them are Ellen Garvens, a UW photography professor whose pictures capture the people who make and use prosthetics in Indonesia; John Blalock, a student in a masters of fine arts program and  an artist-in-residence at Seattle Children’s:  Phil Borges, a social documentary photographer;  and Consuelo Echeverria, a global health graduate student and artist.

A theater banner for the play “Middletown.”

Later in the week, the UW’s Global Health Resource Center will host a Global Health and the Arts Symposium with local artists. The symposium will be held from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, April 20 in Foege Auditorium, located in the UW Foege Building

Kevin Shaw, a UW undergraduate minor in global health and one the event organizers, said beauty and aesthetics is important for human health, but is often lost in contemporary discourse.

Ellen Garven

Ellen Garven’s photo of a prosthetic leg being made in Indonesia.

“We need to explore what makes humans healthy and what makes them thrive in the absence of disease. That’s communities,” he said.  “Art builds communities and builds complete people. There is so much potential for people in the arts to make a difference in public health.”

The symposium will include three panels and several performances, including the Seattle Fandango Project, which brings people together through music, dance, and verse.

A dozen guest speakers are lined up. They include Borges, known for his work with indigenous communities; Jacque Larrainzar, policy director for the Seattle Office of Civil Rights, who helped organize a queer feminist collective in Mexico; Carlo Scandiuzzi, director of ACT Theatre in Seattle; and several students and faculty working at the intersection of the arts and global health, including Sutapu Basu, director of the UW Women’s Center, whose dramas address worldwide women’s health issues, particularly human trafficking.

The panels will explore existing partnerships and the possibilities of additional collaboration between art and global health. There also will be discussions on how art can advance women’s health.

The symposium will feature 10-minute live performances. Film clips from UCLA’s Art and Global Health Center also will be shown, including a project in which HIV-positive people document their lives.

Daren Wade, director of the Global Health Resource Center within the Department of Global Health, said reaching out to the arts community is long overdue.

“As a global health resource center, our charge is to intersect with all parts of campus and throughout the years, we have touched most of campus,” he said. “But we and the campus as a whole need to reach out more to the creative arts. This is how to connect best with the community.”

To find out more about Global Health Week and the Global Health and the Arts Symposium, please go to:
http://globalhealth.washington.edu/global-health-career-week-2013.

Qwalsius Shaun Peterson.

“In Stillness I.”

There’s a lot to see and hear on campus as spring quarter begins. The Burke Museum celebrates Coast Salish art and artists, the Henry Art Gallery has a new show and its annual open house and the Boise-based dance troupe the Trey McIntyre Project returns to Meany Hall.

Also, Russian pianist Danil Trifonov visits, the Talea Ensemble performs UW-composed works and staffer Scott Bailey reads from his debut novel. All supporting players, though, to the current campus stars — cherry blossoms.

Henry Art Gallery Spring Open House, 5-10 p.m., April 5. Celebrate the opening of spring exhibitions at the gallery. Free for members. Tickets are $10 for students, seniors and UW faculty and staff, $15 for the general public. Members preview 5-7 p.m., open house 7-10 p.m. Learn more online.

Coast Salish Weekend, April 5-6. The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture presents a discussion panel of artists, “Coast Salish Art in the 21^st Century” at 7 p.m., April 5, in Room 120 of Kane Hall. Free but registration is requested. Then watch demonstrations and attend film screenings at Coast Salish Art and Artists, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 6.
Also: The Burke offers volunteer docent training April, 5, 12 and 19. To learn more, contact Cassandra Sandkam at csandkam@uw.edu or 206-616-4415.

Paul Laffoley, courtesy of Kent Fine Art, New York.

“The World Soul of Plotinus,” by Paul Laffoley, 2001. Oil, acrylic, and vinyl lettering on canvas.

“Paul Laffoley: Premonitions of the Bauharoque,” April 6 – Sept. 29. The Henry Art Gallery presents a focused selection of 12 works that span the artist’s career and include his earliest mature work from 1965 to his most recent ideas. In the East Gallery. Also: Laffoley will give a lecture at 1 p.m. April 6, in the Henry Auditorium. Tickets are $5-$10. RSVP online.

Lecture: “The Pacific Northwest: A Personal History,” 4 p.m., April 8. John Findlay, UW professor of history, will give this lecture in the Walker-Ames Room of Kane Hall. Findlay studies the American West and is editor of the history department’s journal, Pacific Northwest Quarterly. A Seattle native, he will discuss how his sense of place has developed over the years.

“My historical view of the Northwest doesn’t much reflect my being born here; I hope to explain why I see the region as largely one composed of newcomers, including myself in a way,” Findlay said. “The story revolves in part around how my father discovered the region during World War II, courtesy of the Army, and decided to relocate here when he could.” Limited seating; RSVP to cspn@uw.edu or 206-543-8656.

Beowulf Sheehan

The Talea Ensemble will perform April 8 in the Meany Studio Theater.

Music of Today: Talea Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., April 8. This New York contemporary-classical group will perform “Hermetic Definition,” a new work by UW composer Joël François Durand, as well as works by faculty composer Huck Hodge and by UW students. In the Meany Studio Theater. Tickets $12-$20,
206-543-4880.

Daniil Trifonov, 7:30 p.m., April 9. Emerging as one of the brightest names of the next generation of young artists, this 22-year-old Russian pianist won two of the most prestigious competitions in the music world: First Prize at the Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv, and the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. This performance, in Meany Hall, marks his Seattle debut. Presented by President’s Piano Series. Tickets $35-$39.

UW staff member Scott G. F. Bailey’s debut novel, “The Astrologer.”

Scott G. F. Bailey reads from “The Astrologer,” 7 p.m., April 11. The UW staffer’s debut novel takes place in Europe at the start of the Renaissance. Press notes state, “It is a world ruled by the sword, where civilization is held in place by violence and blind loyalty. In 1601, a man who thinks for himself is a dangerous man. Soren Andersmann, the astrologer, is becoming a dangerous man…” At Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park. Bailey is a fiscal specialist with the UW Academic Affairs office. “The Astrologer” was published by Rhemalsa Publishing of Moses Lake, Wash. Free.

School of Art lectures: The school hosts several lectures in coming days, most in the Art Building. Sinem Arcak Casale of European University Institute, 4 p.m., April 4; Catherine Becker of the University of Illinois, 2:30 p.m., April 5; Lauren Kroiz of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 4 p.m., April 8; and ceramic artist Nicholas Bivins at 6 p.m., April 9, in the Ceramic and Metal Arts Building.

Trey McIntyre Project, 8 p.m., April 11-13. This popular Boise-based dance group’s repertoire ranges from rock and classical music to jazz and folk. This second Meany Hall appearance will include the pieces “Arrantza,” celebrating Basque culture; “Queen of the Goths,” inspired by Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” and the preview of a new work titled “Pass, Away.” Presented by the UW World Series. Tickets are $39-$43 ($20 for students).
206-543-4880.

Coming next week: A western from the School of Drama.

Smith-Staelens Band

UW staffer Bethany Staelens sings with the Smith-Staelens Big Band the first Wednesday of the month at Tula’s, a Seattle jazz club.

Even between quarters there are arts events aplenty at the UW, including ongoing exhibits at the Henry Art Gallery, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and the Jacob Lawrence Gallery.

Also this week there is student art and music, an exhibit at the School of  Social Work, a lecture on art and a bit of spring swing from a UW staffer’s big band — because without that swing, it just “don’t mean a thing.”

Jazz clinic, 12:30 p.m. April 2. The School of Music presents a free clinic/workshop with guitarist Joel Harrison and Spirit House, an all-star lineup featuring Brian Blade, drums; Paul Hanson, electric bassoon; Kermit Driscoll, bass; and Cuong Vu, trumpet. In Brechemin Auditorium and open to the public.

Exhibit: Photomedia BFA Show, April 2-12. The graduation exhibition for students receiving Bachelor of Fine Art degrees from the School of Art’s Photomedia Program. In the Jacob Lawrence Gallery. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday though Saturday. The gallery will also host two receptions: 4-7 p.m., April 2, and 2-4 p.m., April 6, in the gallery.

The Smith-Staelens Big Band, 7:30 p.m., April 3. By day, Bethany Staelens is assistant to the vice provost at UW Educational Outreach. But at 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month she performs big band music with her husband, musician Bruce Staelens, at the jazz club Tula’s in downtown Seattle. Learn more about Smith and Staelens at their website, and read a 2011 UW Today profile of Staelens. Tickets are $10. 206-443-4221.

School of Music

Recipients of the prestigious Brechemin Scholarship present a recital in Brechemin Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., April 3.

Brechemin Scholarship Recipients Recital, 7:30 p.m., April 3. Recipients of the prestigious scholarship present a recital in Brechemin Auditorium. Program selections include works by Ferroud, Hurel, Paganini, Rachmaninoff, Poulenc and Ibert. Tickets $5, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

Lecture: Tad Hirsch, 7 p.m., April 4. Hirsch, an assistant professor of interaction design, will discuss his work and research in the Henry Art Gallery Auditorium. Free. Learn more and RSVP on Facebook.

Burke Museum Trivia Night, 8 p.m. April 4. Test your knowledge of the natural world in this monthly trivia night at the College Inn Pub hosted by the Burke. Teams are limited to six players, and the cost is $5 per team. Also, Burke admission is free and the museum is open until 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month.

Art exhibit: “Experiencing Our Worlds: A Display of Unity in a World of Diversity,” through May 10. The School of Social Work shows art and poetry by UW students, faculty, staff and alumni who self-identify as having a disability.  The display includes statements on how their art empowers their worlds. Display is in the first floor gallery in the School of Social Work building.  The artists’ reception will be 12:30 to 2 p.m., April 5. The show and reception are open to the public.

Coming next week: The Trey McIntyre Project

Pipilotti Rist

A still image from the video “A la belle étoile (Under The Sky),” from the exhibit closing March 24 at the Henry Art Gallery.

UW arts events slow down some as each quarter ends, but there are ongoing exhibits at the Henry Art Gallery and Burke Museum and UW-related artworks being shown off campus.

Plus, UW School of Art talents are on display in an exhibit titled “Chamber Music” at the Frye Art Museum. Also, composer Huck Hodge talks about sonic art as part of the ongoing Rite of Spring Centennial Celebration — from which the weather really should take a hint.

UW World Series 2013-2014 season announced. Subscriptions are on sale now for the coming season, a lineup curated by Michelle Witt, now in her second year programming the series. The season will include 22 artists from 10 countries, including pianists Andre Watts and Garrick Ohlsson, the Grupo Corpo dance company, the Emerson String Quartet, banjo star Bela Fleck and violinist Hilary Hahn.

Huck Hodge

Music of Today with Huck Hodge, 7 p.m., March 21. Hodge, a professor in the School of Music, demonstrates his unorthodox approach to sonic art through the use of sound-making toys and the re-purposing of acoustic instruments. Part of the ongoing Rite of Spring Centennial Celebration. Free, in the Henry Art Gallery auditorium. RSVP online. Read a 2010 UW Today profile of Hodge.

Exhibit: “Chamber Music,” through May 5. School of Art Professor Jamie Walker of the 3 Dimensional Forum and Michael Van Horn, Photomedia instructional technician,  are among the 36 Seattle artists the Frye Art Museum commissioned to create new work for this exhibit responding to musical compositions based on James Joyce’s poetry book titled “Chamber Music.”

David Brody

“Emily,” by David Brody. Part of the “Faces …” exhibit at the Prographica Gallery.

Exhibit: “Faces …” through April 20. David Brody, UW professor of painting and drawing, and three School of Art alumni are among the artists showing work in this show at the Prographica gallery. Full title of the show is “Faces: Portraits of course, but that’s not the point.”

School of Music students recitals. The school will hold several student recitals in coming days. Visit online for details.

Continuing:

• At the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture: The exhibit “Plastics Unwrapped” runs through May 27.
• At the Henry Art Gallery: Several exhibits continue, including “Pipilotti Rist: A la belle étoile” ends March 24.

Joanne De Pue

The University Symphony will perform with the Chamber Singers March 15 in Meany Hall.

UW arts are slowing some as winter quarter winds down, but there’s still plenty to see. The University Symphony performs with the Chamber Singers, and the Littlefield Organ Series welcomes a guest.

Also, the New Voices in World Jewish Music series winds up and the School of Drama holds its annual benefit and fundraiser.

New Voices in World Jewish Music: Guy Mendilow Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., March 14. The series concludes with this ensemble that advance notes state “breathes new life into centuries-old Sephardi songs — epic tales of sailors and love lost to the seas, fantastic dreams and the intrigue of kings and queens abound in arrangements that crackle with rich musical storytelling.” At the Fremont Abbey Arts Center, 4272 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle. Tickets $10-$15. 206-543-0138.

University Symphony & Chamber Singers, 7:30 p.m., March 15. The symphony, directed by Jonathan Pastenack, School of Music lecturer and director of orchestral activities, performs Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the chamber singers and guests the Tacoma Symphony Chorus. Tickets $10-$15. 206-543-4880.

School of Drama benefit, “Transformations,” 6-9 p.m., March 16. The school’s annual benefit and celebration offers an evening of food, fun and fundraising in the Jones Playhouse. Tickets $85, $45 for graduates in the last five years.

John Grew

Littlefield Organ Series: John Grew, 3 p.m., March 17. University Organist and chair of the organ program at McGill University, Grew performs music of the Baroque and modern eras on the UW’s famed Littlefield Organ. In Kane Hall’s Walker-Ames Room. $15, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

Journeys Ashore: South Asian Immigrants in the Pacific Northwest, through March 31. An exhibit in the Allen Library exploring the various routes that brought South Asians to the Pacific Northwest through photographs and oral histories, from the 1890s through the Second World War.

“Ground,” art by Akio Takamori, through March 30. An exhibit by the UW professor of ceramics at the James Harris Gallery, 312 Second Ave. S., Seattle.

Faculty Focus: Touring the Henry Art Gallery, noon, March 20. Join a UW faculty member for a 30-minute tour the third Wednesday of each month. Each month a different faculty member will share a unique perspective on the art on view. Free for UW students, faculty and staff. $10 for general, $6 for seniors.

Lora Shinn

The Burke Museum’s annual Dino Day will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 10, at the museum. Here, young visitors to a previous Dino Day check out the cool stuff.

There’s a whole lot of music on campus this week: jazz, baroque, choral, wind ensemble, chamber singers and more. Plus, undergraduates continue their run of “Cyrano” and the Burke Museum holds Dino Day, a family-friendly event 65 million years in the making.

Tafelmusik, 7:30 p.m., March 7. This Canadian orchestra that uses period instruments has been lauded by Gramophone magazine as “one of the world’s top baroque orchestras.” The group will perform “House of Dreams,” a multimedia journey to the meeting places of baroque art, music and architecture — five European homes where exquisite works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Marais were played against a backdrop of paintings by Vermeer, Canaletto, and Watteau. In Meany Hall. Pre-performance lecture at 6:30 p.m. in the west lobby. Regular tickets $37-$41, faculty and staff $35-$39. A free youth ticket is included with every purchase of a regular ticket. Presented by the UW World Series.

Undergraduate Theater Society: “Cyrano,” 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28 – Mar. 10. Cyrano de Bergerac’s larger-than-life personality is matched only by his even-larger nose, performed in verse. In the Hutchinson Hall Cabaret Theatre. Directed by UW senior Ben Phillips. Tickets $5-$10.

School of Art faculty candidate lecture, 4:30 p.m., March 7. A finalist for the Japanese art faculty position in the art history division meets the public in Room 003 of the Art Building.

Dino Day, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., March 10. Discover the secret life of dinosaurs at this family-friendly event at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Learn how paleontologists know what dinosaurs looked like, how they lived, and what they ate. Plus, hands-on activities, including uncovering a fossil ichthyosaur in the Dino Dig Pit. Included with museum admission, free for members. Learn more online.

UW Symphonic Band Chamber Concert, 1:30 p.m., March 10. Members of the band perform chamber arrangements of works by Ralph Vaughn Williams, Percy Grainger, Igor Stravinsky and others. Program also includes the world premiere of “…and the rage begets the rain” by UW composition student Kim Rivera. In Brechemin Auditorium, $5 cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

UW Opera Theater, 7:30 p.m., March 8; 2 p.m., March 10. Under the direction of Thomas Harper, UW associate professor of music, the company performs Mozart’s comic chamber opera “Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario),” plus scenes from “Carmen,” “Fidelio,” “La Forza del Destino,” “Così fan Tutte” and “Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (The Merry Wives of Windsor).” In the Meany Studio Theater. Tickets $10-$15. Learn more online about the March 8 and March 10 performances.

Studio Jazz Ensemble and Modern Band, 7:30 p.m., March 11. The ensemble will perform big band arrangements and repertory selections, including works by Edgar Sampson, Mark Taylor, Cole Porter and Don Menza. The band will perform innovative arrangements of jazz standards, selections from the outer limits of the genre and new original compositions. In Meany Hall. Tickets $10-$15. 206-543-4880.

Joanne DePue

The UW Wind Ensemble will perform March 12 in Meany Hall, in advance of its March 22-April 2 concert tour in Beijing.

UW Wind Ensemble China Tour Preview Concert, 7:30 p.m., March 12. The group will perform works prepared for its March 22-April 2, 2013, concert tour to Beijing. Selections will include works by Kevin Puts, John Mackey, David Gillingham, David Maslanka and Bruce Broughton. Soloists include David Gordon, Seattle Symphony principal trumpet and School of Music faculty artist; and graduate students Danny Helseth and Jon Hansen. In Meany Hall. Tickets $10-$15. 206-543-4880.

University Chorale and Chamber Singers, 7:30 p.m., March 13. The two groups will present their winter quarter concert in Meany Hall, titled “Sweet, Sour, Salty, and Bitter: Music for the Flavors of Our Lives.” The concert includes an array of choral works ranging from new arrangements of traditional folk songs to pop arrangements and a work by J.S. Bach. Tickets $10-$15. 206-543-4880.  

New Voices in World Jewish Music: Guy Mendilow Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., March 14. The series concludes with this award-winning ensemble that advance notes state “beathes new life into centuries-old Sephardi songs — epic tales of sailors and love lost to the seas, fantastic dreams and the intrigue of kings and queens abound in arrangements that crackle with rich musical storytelling.” At the Fremont Abbey Arts Center, 4272 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle WA 98103. Tickets $10-$15. 206-543-0138

Journeys Ashore: South Asian Immigrants in the Pacific Northwest, through March 31. An exhibit in the Allen Library exploring the various routes that brought South Asians to the Pacific Northwest through photographs and oral histories, from the 1890s through the Second World War.

Ashley Allen

Actors in the Undergraduate Theater Society’s production of “Cyrano.” From left, they are Zane Suarez, Brent Cronin, Emma Broback, Colton Sullivan, Christy Choi, Josh Langager, Dmitry Levin, Spencer Hamp and Kevin Lin.

Drama leads this week’s busy UW arts schedule, if by a nose, with the Undergraduate Theater Society’s staging of the Cyrano de Bergerac story and the School of Drama’s production of “Pentecost” — a play about art, which ought to count double.

Also, exhibits, lectures, the University Symphony, something new at the Henry Art Gallery, a Hindustani classical singer and the annual Dance Majors Concert, titled “From Foundations to the Floating Cities Within.”

Undergraduate Theater Society: “Cyrano,” 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28 – Mar. 10. Cyrano de Bergerac’s larger-than-life personality is matched only by his even-larger nose. In the Hutchinson Hall Cabaret Theatre. Adapted by Barry Kornhauser from a play by Edmond Rostand. Directed by Ben Phillips. Tickets $5-$10.

Kris Bain

Poster for the 2013 Dance Majors Concert.

UW Dance Majors Concert 2013, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28 – March 2. A concert covering a wide range of dance styles and eras, from the foundations of legendary choreographer José Limón to premieres by alumna Rhonda Cinotto and current dance majors. Performed in the Meany Studio Theater. March 3 matinee is at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10-$18. 206-543-4880.

Play: “Pentecost,” 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28 – March 3. The School of Drama presents a play by David Edgar, directed by Andrew McGinn, about a mysterious church fresco discovered in a Balkan country that may rewrite the history of art. In the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse. Sunday, March 3, show is at 2 p.m. Watch a video about the play. Tickets are $10-$18.

Art project: Tamara Henderson and Julia Feyrer, Feb. 28 – March 16. Henderson, one of the artists participating in the Critical Issues in Contemporary Art lecture series, is building a bar-like structure and film set in one of the Jacob Lawrence Gallery rooms with Vancouver, B.C., artist Julia Feyrer. Reception 8-10 p.m., Feb. 28.
Also: Henderson will discuss her work in the seventh lecture in the Critical Issues in Contemporary Art series, at 7 p.m., Feb. 28, in the Henry Art Gallery auditorium.

Jerome Tso

Ludovic Morlot rehearses with the University Symphony. He’ll conduct Feb. 28, in Meany Hall.

University Symphony with Ludovic Morlot, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28. In his first appearance as a UW affiliate professor of music, Morlot, Seattle Symphony music director, conducts the University Symphony in a performance of Maurice Ravel’s ”Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2.” Also, winners of the UW Concerto Competition perform works by Ferdinand David, Maurice Ravel and Sergei Prokofiev. In Meany Hall. Tickets $10-$15.

Career panel: “The Real World,” 6-7 p.m., March 1. A panel of professionals talks about life in the art world. Organized by the Undergraduate Art History Society. Free and open to the public, in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery. Learn more online.

Weekend activities at the Burke Museum, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekends, March 2-31. Do you dig dinos? Every weekend in March, channel your inner paleontologist and explore how fossils ranging from the largest dinosaurs to the tiniest plant pollens help us learn about prehistoric life on earth.
Also: Burke Trivia Night at the College Inn Pub, 8 p.m., March 7. Natural science meets beer in this tradition that continues the first Thursday of the month though June. Learn more online. $5 per team.

Lewis Wickes Hine

“Powerhouse Mechanic,” by Lewis Wickes Hine. Powerhouse Mechanic.

“Out [o] Fashion Photography: Embracing Beauty,” March 2 – Sept. 1. An exhibition at the Henry Art Gallery that juxtaposes new and unknown works, offering a cross-cultural read on beauty through portraiture, documentary, constructed images and fashion photography dating back to the 19^th century. From the Henry’s collection and UW Libraries Special Collections. Curator Deborah Willis of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts will speak at 7 p.m., March 1, in the Henry auditorium. Tickets $5-$10, RSVP online.
Also: The Henry has half-hour guided tours at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month, such as March 7. To learn more, email tours@henryart.org.

Ana Moura, 8 p.m., March 2. A star of Portuguese fado, a poetic, deeply expressive style of music now having a renaissance, Moura has taken the art form in new directions with collaborations with such artists as The Rolling Stones and Prince. NPR said, “Her mesmeric appeal radiates from within, even if you don’t know a syllable of Portuguese. Her ability to alternately whisper, growl and ring like a silver bell are the hallmarks of a fine singer.” In Meany Hall. Tickets $34-$38, $20 for students.

Paul Roberts, lecture, recital, 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., March 3. Roberts, a concert pianist and specialist in French Impressionism, will present “Capturing the Illusive Image: The Debussy Preludes,” a lecture-recital, as well as a concert of works by Debussy. The concert, part of the French Connections series, also features Grace Huang, piano, and the School of Music’s Oceana Quartet. Roberts also provides commentary during the concert portion of this two-part event. Admission to the 4:30 p.m. concert is included with paid admission to the 2:30 p.m. lecture/recital. Hosted by Piano Professor Robin McCabe. Tickets are $10, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

Exhibit: “What’ll It Be?” March 5 – 16. A juried show of student work in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery. School of Art instructor and alumnus Susie Lee is the juror. Reception 4-7 p.m., March 5.

Student art exhibit, March 5 – 9. Graduation exhibition by Alex Kewitt, a Bachelor of Fine Arts student with the Three-D Forum (3D4M) in the Ceramic + Metal Arts Building. Reception 6-8 p.m., March 5.

Khatia Buniatishvili

Khatia Buniatishvili, 7:30 p.m., March 6. This 25-year-old Georgian pianist, performing since age 6, makes her Seattle debut in Meany Hall in the President’s Piano Series, playing works by Chopin, Ravel, Schubert, Liszt and Stravinsky. Regular tickets $35-$39, UW faculty and staff $33-$37, $20 for students.

Ethnomusicology visiting artist Srivani Jade, 7:30 p.m., March 6. Jade, a Hindustani classical singer, and students present music in the North Indian classical form of Khayal, as well as traditional and folk-inspired music such as Thumri-Dadra, Tappa and Bhajans. The concert is the culmination of Jade’s winter quarter residency at the School of Music, and is part of the Ethnomusicology Program’s 50-year anniversary celebration. In Brechemin Auditorium. Tickets are $5, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

Lecture: Diala Khasawnih and Ola El-Khalidi, 7 p.m., March 7. The eighth and last lecture in the Critical Issues in Contemporary Art series, in the Henry Art Gallery auditorium. Free.

Brad Norr Design

“Ferocious Reality: Documentary According to Werner Herzog” was published in October 2012 by University of Minnesota Press.

Eric Ames is a University of Washington associate professor of Germanics and author of the new book “Ferocious Reality: Documentary According to Werner Herzog.” Herzog is a highly regarded and controversial German filmmaker whose documentaries include “Grizzly Man,” (2005), “Encounters at the End of the World” (2007), and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” (2010). Ames answered a few questions about the book for UW Today.

What is the central concept behind “Ferocious Reality: Documentary according to Werner Herzog”?

Herzog is known for how much he hates documentaries. And yet, he has made 30 of them, with several more in the works. The book sets out to explore this contradiction, how Herzog works both within and against the documentary tradition, and how his supposed hatred of documentary becomes, in effect, a creative dynamic.

You write that Herzog “engages documentary on his own terms.” What are those terms, and how do they differ from other documentary approaches?

For decades, Herzog has promoted his own alternative notion of truth in documentary cinema, one which he likes to call “the ecstatic truth.” By that he means a poetic truth which is based on stylization and aesthetic experience (and not simply found in the world by virtue of recording or mere observation). And yet, in making such claims, Herzog uses a language that is largely beholden to him. That’s also what I mean by engaging documentary “on his own terms.”

Herzog is a filmmaker who loves to talk about his work — he has given more than 800 interviews — a characteristic which is great for fans and critics (especially because he likes to say outrageous things and he has such a wonderful voice), but one which also becomes a problem for scholars. I couldn’t begin to write this book until I had found a way to separate my thoughts and my language about the films from what Herzog has to say about them and about documentary more generally.

And what I found, then, was that Herzog’s approach and its difference from that of other filmmakers is really a difference of degree and not in kind. All documentary can do is stylize. Herzog just embraces this idea and gives it a swagger that sets him apart.

Does Herzog pre-stage scenes and rehearse performers in his documentaries? And does that stretch the definition of documentary?

Herzog is known for staging scenes, for leading people with scripted bits of dialogue, and for shooting multiple takes (especially with films made in multiple-language versions). And then he flaunts this particular aspect of his documentaries — in interviews, for example — so that the act of filmmaking itself becomes a type of performance and a topic of discussion among fans and critics.

But Herzog’s films also involve plenty of unscripted moments, improvised scenes and chance events. What we have, then, is a playful mix of elements — encounter and artifice, observation and stylization — a mix that doesn’t necessarily stretch the boundaries of documentary but one that certainly calls attention to them and that raises certain questions about what we usually just assume or expect of documentary.

You write that, although he refuses to align himself with the documentary tradition, “Herzog may be the most influential filmmaker whose contribution to documentary is nowhere discussed in the major studies and standard histories of the form.” Why is that?

To put it bluntly, Herzog is German and his films don’t fit the critical mold that earlier generations of scholars carved out for documentary, particularly in the English-speaking world. What is more, Herzog clearly takes pleasure in breaking this particular mold; it is an integral part of his identity as a filmmaker.

The good news is, today, scholars tend to be relaxed about documentary’s generic boundaries (not policing them), curious about the form’s cultural variations, and open to its creative possibilities.

Finally, what do you think Herzog’s effect will be on the future of documentary cinema?

I think Herzog and his films will continue to inspire new generations of filmmakers, including those who work in documentary.

But what happens when “documentary cinema” moves from the theater to the Internet? Will Herzog’s work resonate in an online environment? The larger question, going forward, is how the web may affect our understanding of “documentary” and of the “cinema” more generally.

• “Ferocious Reality: Documentary According to Werner Herzog” was published in October 2012 by University of Minnesota Press. Learn more about Herzog at his website.

Duncan Cole

The Black Grace dance company will perform in Meany Hall Feb. 21-23.

Dance and drama lead this busy week of UW Arts, with the School of Drama’s production of “Pentecost,” the visiting Black Grace dance company and later, the 2013 Dance Majors concert.

Also, jazz, the University Symphony, a new Henry Art Gallery exhibit and the Jacob Lawrence Gallery offers you breakfast. 

Black Grace dance company, 8 p.m., Feb. 21-23. This New Zealand dance company has earned acclaim for its unique fusion of Pacific Islander and contemporary dance. The performance features the Seattle premiere of a new piece titled “Vaka.” In Meany Hall. Tickets $41-$45, online, by phone or in person at the UW Arts Ticket Office. 206-543-4880.

School of Art faculty candidate lectures, 4:30 p.m. Feb. 21, 4 p.m. Feb. 25. Finalists for the Japanese art faculty position in the art history division meet the public in Room 317 of the Art Building.

Play: “Pentecost,” through March 3. The School of Drama presents a play by David Edgar, directed by Andrew McGinn, about a mysterious church fresco discovered in a Balkan country that may rewrite the history of art. In the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse. Watch a video about the show. Tickets are $10-$18.

Jazz Innovations II, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 21. Student jazz ensembles pay homage to the icons of jazz and break new ground with original progressive jazz compositions. In Brechemin Auditorium. Tickets $5, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

Breakfast at the Jake, 8-11 a.m., Feb. 22. The Jacob Lawrence Gallery invites all for coffee, tea, juice and pastries in an event organized by the Undergraduate Art History Society. RSVP on Facebook.

Exhibit: “The Dowsing 2013,” Feb. 23 – May 5. Developed for the Henry Art Gallery, the exhibit by designer and artist Anna Telcs extends her research comparing late-19th-century undergarment construction and tailoring techniques with contemporary layered street fashion. There will be three performances related to the exhibit on March 23 in Red Square, with a reception to follow at the museum.

Senior Exhibition, Feb. 23 – March 3. Students in Curt Labitzke’s Interdisciplinary Visual Arts capstone class present their work at the Sand Point Gallery. There will be a reception at 6 p.m., Feb. 22, at the gallery.

Voice Division Recital, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 25. Students of Thomas Harper, Kari Ragan, and Giselle Wyers perform their Winter Quarter Studio Recital in Brechemin Auditorium. Tickets are $5, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

Cristina Valdes

Pianist Cristina Valdes, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 26. The School of Music presents a program featuring works by UW composers Huck Hodge and Richard Karpen and pieces by Tristan Murail, Jonathan Harvey and Nathan Davis, performed by Valdes in Meany Hall. The program is titled “Music of Today: The 21^st Century Piano.” Tickets $20 ($12 for students and seniors). 206-543-4880.

Lecture: Ivan Drpić, 4:30 p.m., Feb. 26. The assistant professor of art history discusses his research titled “Portable Tombs: Two Reliquary-Enkolpia of Saint Demetrios.” In Room 003 of the Art Building.

Lecture: Tamara Henderson, 7 p.m., Feb. 28. The seventh and penultimate lecture in the Critical Issues in Contemporary Art series in the Henry Art Gallery auditorium. Henderson is a Canadian artist.

The Art of Fashion and Manufacturing with Dick Meyer, 7 p.m., Feb. 28. The first of three gallery talks at the Henry’s Test Site about public perceptions of manufacturing, worth, and beauty led by Anna Telcs featuring guests from the fashion industry. Free with museum admission. Upcoming lectures: Nin Truoung on March 7 and Strath Shepard on March 14.

UW Dance Majors Concert 2013, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28 – March 3. A concert covering a wide range of dance styles and eras, from the foundations of legendary choreographer José Limón to premieres by alumna Rhonda Cinotto and current dance majors. This year’s student choreographers include Cheryl Delostrinos, Kyle Easterly, Megan Erickson, Chloe Goolsby, Fausto Rivera and Anna Zemke. Performed in the Meany Studio Theater, the concert is titled “From Foundations to the Floating Cities Within.” March 3 matinee is at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10-$18. 206-543-4880.

University Symphony with Ludovic Morlot, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28. Morlot, Seattle Symphony music director, conducts the symphony in a performance of Maurice Ravel’s ”Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2″ in his premiere appearance as a UW affiliate professor of music. Also, Jonathan Pasternack conducts Olivier Messiaen’s “Un Sourire” and leads winners of the UW Concerto Competition with the orchestra in performances of works by Ferdinand David, Maurice Ravel, and Sergei Prokofiev. In Meany Hall. Tickets $10-$15.

Undergraduate Theater Society: “Cyrano,” 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28 – Mar. 10. Cyrano de Bergerac’s larger-than-life personality is matched only by his even-larger nose. In the Hutchinson Hall Cabaret Theatre. Adapted by Barry Kornhauser from a play by Edmond Rostand. Directed by Ben Phillips. Tickets $5-$10.

Next week: The School of Music’s French Connections.

Joanne De Pue

Robin McCabe, left, and Maria Larionoff will begin their Beethoven Project, celebrating the composer, on Feb. 17, in Brechemin Auditorium.

The School of Drama leads this busy week in UW arts events with the opening of its new show, “Pentecost.” Also, Robin McCabe and Maria Larionoff kick off their Beethoven Project with sonatas for violin and piano and the dance company Black Grace visits campus. You don’t need a presidential address to know that the state of UW arts is strong.

Exhibit: “Sean Scully, Passages,” Feb. 16 – June 2. A pairing of the British artist’s photographic portfolio and large-scale oil painting to, as press notes state, “examine and expose the rich dialogue between the two mediums in the artist’s oeuvre.” In the Henry Art Gallery’s North Galleries. Learn more online.

Strange Coupling Art Auction, 6 p.m., Feb. 16. The group, formed in 2002, seeks connections between local artists and UW students. Learn more about this off-campus event online.

Mary Levin

A murumba brought to the UW by Mudzunga Junniah, a South African performer and teacher who was a visiting artist in 2008-09, is part of a display of musical Instruments from the School of Music’s Ethnomusicology Collection in Allen Library. Each piece is accompanied by information about the visiting artist who donated it to the UW.

Musical Instruments from the Ethnomusicology Collection, through Feb. 21. UW Libraries commemorates the 50^th anniversary of the Ethnomusicology Program with a display in the Allen Library lobby. On display are samples of the program’s collection of more than 400 instruments reflecting musical traditions from Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas, and more. Also, musician photographs and a video sampler. Learn more online.

McCabe/Larionoff Duo, The Beethoven Project, 2 p.m., Feb. 17. Two musicians — McCabe on piano and Larionoff on violin — begin their traversal of the complete Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano with a duo recital of Sonata Nos. 1, 8, 4, and 5. Commentary is provided by UW Beethoven scholar Stephen Rumph. Part of the Barry Lieberman and Friends series, in Brechemin Auditorium. Tickets $15, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

Michaela Petrovich

A costume sketch for a character in “Pentecost” named Tunu, played by student actor Yesenia Iglesias.

Play: “Pentecost,” Feb. 20 – March 3. The School of Drama presents a play by David Edgar, directed by Andrew McGinn, about a mysterious church fresco discovered in a Balkan country that may rewrite the history of art. In the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse. Watch a video about the show. Tickets are $10-$18.

Black Grace dance company, 8 p.m., Feb. 21-23. New Zealand’s leading contemporary dance company has earned acclaim for its unique fusion of Pacific Islander and contemporary dance.The performance features the Seattle premiere of a new piece titled “Vaka.” In Meany Hall. Tickets $41-$45, online, by phone or in person at the UW Arts Ticket Office.

School of Art lectures, Feb. 21. Alum Zac Bedell will discuss his transition from school to work at Webtrends at 6:30 p.m. in Room 236 of the Art Building.

Sam Levitt, a New York-based artist, will discuss his art at 7:30 p.m. in the Henry Art Gallery auditorium, the sixth lecture in the Critical Issues in Contemporary Art series.

David Shields

David Shields, University of Washington professor of English and author of 14 books including the New York Times best-seller “The Thing About Life is That One Day You’ll Be Dead,” has a new book out titled “How Literature Saved My Life.” He answered a few questions about the book for UW Today.

What’s the concept behind your new book?

My previous book, “Reality Hunger: A Manifesto,” burned literature down to the ground — for myself (and apparently for a lot of other people). I wanted to reconstitute literature for myself. I’d opened a space; now I wanted to fill it — take what I’d theorized about in “Reality Hunger” and attempt to apply it, practice it, vivify it, visceralize it, vulnerabilize it (not sure if the last two are words).

Is it difficult to work in such a deep vein of autobiography? Is it a necessary part of your process?

An interesting question, but to me rather like asking a fish if it’s difficult to work in a deep vein of water. It’s what I do. I’m a personal essayist. I write book-length essays. I proceed under Montaigne’s idea that “Every man contains within himself all of humanity.” I want to explore myself to the bottom of myself, in the hope that I will get to something “universally human,” thereby making other people feel “less freakish,” as Phillip Lopate says, more human.

You write that you “no longer believe in ‘The Great Man alone in a room writing a masterpiece.” Can you explain?

I grew up under the sway of modernism — writing the great novel — a la Proust, Woolf, Joyce, Mann, Kafka. I was in awe of pure voice — voices such as Ford Madox Ford’s, Nabokov’s, Hawkes’s, Barth’s, Camus’s. I now want to do something that is more choral, more collage-like, more pointillistic, more undemocratic — my voice, for sure, but a more demotic voice and one that incorporates other people’s voices as well.

You write, “The writers I like tend to present the ambiguities of genre as an analogue to the ambiguities of existence” and note the work of the late memoirist Spalding Gray in this regard. Can you elaborate?

This is a rather fancy way of saying it on my part, isn’t it? What am I trying to say here? Only that it’s very difficult to know who we are exactly, and I like work that jumps boundaries and troubles genres as a way to convey the difficulty of knowing what a self is. Hope that clarifies somewhat. I resist quite a bit works that exist safely within genre; such works pretend that identity is more knowable than it really is.

Finally, what do you hope readers will take away from “How Literature Saved My Life”?

I hope that readers will take away from “How Literature Saved My Life” a deep mystery story, a detective novel: I’m the detective. I’m lost — unable to talk, aware of the difficulties of love, of communication, of the body’s limits, of mortality. I find refuge in literature, but that curdles; I want literature to save me, but I can’t abide a literature in which the membrane isn’t very thin between life and art. Do I love art or just art-like life?

In the last chapter I try to find a way to save my life via literature. Do I do so? That is the journey I hope readers wish to go on.

Jack Storms/Storms PhotoGraphic, 2012

Visitors to the Burke Museum talk with staff about this object at the museum’s 2012 Artifact ID Day. This year’s event will be from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 9.

The School of Music leads this crowded week in UW arts with several events, from baroque to modern, percussion to a combined band concert, plus a display of musical instruments from the Ethnomusicology Program, now celebrating its 50^th anniversary.

Also, Taiko drummers visit, the Henry Art Gallery has its annual gala and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture holds its popular annual Artifact ID Day — you know, for that thing you found in the garden.

Modern Music Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 7. A new School of Music student ensemble performs its debut concert, a program of works by Xenakis, Sciarrino, Hosokawa, and Grisey. Tickets are $10-$15. 206-543-4880.

Joanne De Pue

Marc Seales

“Hammer Jazz”: Marc Seales and Tom Collier, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 8. Collier, director of Percussion Studies, joins pianist Seales for a program of original compositions and unique arrangements of jazz standards. Part of the ongoing Mallethead Series, featuring original compositions and arrangements of music for vibraphone and other instruments. Meany Studio Theater. Tickets are $12-$20. 206-543-4880.

Baroque Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 8. School of Music students perform music by Handel, Bach, C.P.E. Bach, Telemann, Vivaldi, and Buxtehude in Brechemin Auditorium. $5, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

Burke Museum’s Artifact ID Day, 1-3:30 p.m., Feb. 9. The museum hosts its popular day where its experts identify objects brought in by the public. Now in its 28^th year. There’s a limit of three objects each, and no actual appraisals will be given. Free with museum admission. Learn more online.

2012 Henry Art Gallery Gala, 6 p.m., Feb. 9. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, music, dancing, and Northwest artist Jeffrey Mitchell has transformed the museum for the occasion. Tickets available online. More information at rsvp@henryart.org or call 206-221-3244.

Art exhibit: “Chamber Music,” Feb. 9 – May 5. Jamie Walker, professor of art, and Michael Van Horn of the Photomedia program are among 36 artists contributing to a new work based on a book of poetry by James Joyce at the Frye Art Museum. Learn more online.

The Taiko drumming group Kodo will perform in Meany Hall Feb. 9 and 10.

Kodo, 8 p.m., Feb. 9; 2 p.m., Feb. 10. Taiko drumming pioneers from Japan perform in Meany Hall as part of their One Earth Tour 2013. Press notes state, “Although the company plays a variety of instruments, it’s their massive drums weighing as much as 900 pounds that mesmerize the audience. Seeing Kodo is an unforgettable experience.” Tickets $41-$45 ($20 for students). Presented in Meany Hall by the UW World Series.

Galeet Dardashti in conversation with Jessika Kenney, 7 p.m., Feb. 10. Dardashti is the granddaughter of Yona Dardashti, renowned singer of Persian classical music in Iran, and daughter of esteemed cantor Farid Dardashti. A Middle Eastern vocalist and composer, she is the first woman in her family to continue the tradition of distinguished Persian and Jewish musicianship. This interview, in Brechemin Auditorium, is the second of three events in the New Voices in World Jewish Music series. Kenney is a vocalist and composer. Free but registration is requested.

Percussion Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 12. Co-directed by Tom Collier and Andrew Angell, the ensemble will perform new and standard works for percussion. Featured standards will include Paul Creston’s “Ceremonial, Opus 103 for Percussion Ensemble and Piano” and “Double Music for Percussion Quartet” jointly composed by 20^th century icons John Cage and Lou Harrison. New works on the program include those by Andy Harnsberger and Christopher Rouse. Meany Hall. Tickets $10-$15. 206-543-4880.

Symphonic, concert and campus Bands, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14. The bands combine for an evening of music for wind band ensembles. The program features works by Gustav Holst, Percy Grainger, John Philip Sousa, Gordon Jacob and Steven Bryant. Meany Hall. Tickets $10-$15, 206-543-4880.  

Musical Instruments from the Ethnomusicology Collection, through Feb. 21. UW Libraries commemorates the 50^th anniversary of the Ethnomusicology Program with a display in the Allen Library lobby. On display are samples of the program’s collection of more than 400 instruments reflecting musical traditions from Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas, and more. Also, musician photographs and a video sampler. Learn more online.

Winter Interdisciplinary Arts Social, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Feb. 13. Join Interdisciplinary Visual Arts students for a t-shirt screen printing party in Room 204 of the Art Building. No experience necessary, but bring something on which to print. Refreshments will be provided.

Lecture: Oscar Tuazon, 7 p.m., Feb. 14. The fifth lecture in the free Critical Issues in Contemporary Art series in the Henry Art Gallery auditorium. Tuazon, born in Seattle, now lives in Paris.

Student art exhibit, “Phillip Carpenter: Six Portraits.” An exhibit of photographs by second-year Master’s of Fine Art student Phillip Carpenter, curated by art history doctoral student Lauren Palmor, in a Pioneer Square pop-up gallery, 117 Main St. There will be a reception at 6 p.m. Feb. 7, at the gallery.

Helen O’Toole exhibit, through March 2. A solo show of recent work by the associate professor of painting and drawing at the Linda Hodges Gallery. Reception is 6-8 p.m. Feb. 7, at the gallery.

Next week: McCabe and Larionoff, together again.

The Burke Museum offers “Short Takes on Plastics” Feb. 5. at the Neptune Theater, related to the exhibit “Plastics Unwrapped.”

The Undergraduate Theater Society continues its run of Lanford Wilson’s drama “Burn This,” the Kirkland Choral Society pays a visit and The School of Art has lectures and exhibits aplenty in this full week in UW arts.

Also, the Burke Museum limits science-types to six minutes each as they discuss plastics at the Neptune Theater — think of it as speed dating, natural history-style.

“An Evening of Endingness,” 7 p.m., Feb. 1. In conjunction with the exhibition “Now Here is also Nowhere: Part II,” the Henry Art Gallery presents a performance of Pablo Helguera’s composition for chamber orchestra. Free with admission. Learn more and RSVP online.

School of Music

The School of Music offers “La Guitare Française” on Feb. 1 in Brechemin Auditorium.

Guitar Ensemble: “La Guitare Française,” 7:30 p.m., Feb. 1. Students of Michael Partington perform a program of French music arranged for guitars in duo, trio, quartet and with flute. The concert includes music by Debussy, Poulenc, Faure, Couperin, Ibert and Grau and features guest flutists Elizabeth Jolly and Kathleen Shin. In Brechemin Auditorium. Tickets $5, cash or check at the door. 206-685-8384.

Kirkland Choral Society, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 2. Works by Dvorak and Bernstein will be featured when the choral group teams with Philharmonia Northwest to present “Songs of Heaven.” Tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for students and seniors and may be purchased at tickets@kirklandchoralsociety.org or by phoning 425-296-0612.

Play: “Burn This,” 7:30 p.m., through Feb. 3. The Undergraduate Theater Society presents a drama by Lanford Wilson, directed by Mary Hubert, in the Hutchinson Hall Cabaret Theater. The New York Times called the play, “the late Lanford Wilson’s love letter to bad boys and the women (and men) who crush on them.” Learn more on Facebook. Tickets $5-$10.

“Short Takes on Plastics,” 7 p.m., Feb. 5. The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture presents an event at the Neptune Theater related to the exhibit “Plastics Unwrapped.” An evening of fast-paced talks with 10 engineers, historians, archaeologists, chemists, activists, and oceanographers who are limited to six minutes and 20 slides each. Tickets are $5 at the door or available online.

The School of Art has several events this week.

Alumni lectures: Shio Kusaka, Rock Huschka, Jan. 31. Kusaka will speak at
3 p.m. in the Ceramic and Metal Arts Building. Learn more online. Huschka will speak at 5:30 p.m. in Room 003 of the Art Building. Learn more online.

Critical Issues in Contemporary Art lectures: Tue Greenfort, 7 p.m., Jan. 31; Isla Leaver-Yap, 7 p.m., Feb. 7. The third and fourth lectures in this ongoing free series, in the Henry Art Gallery Auditorium.

Student art exhibits. Works by undergraduates through Feb. 2 in the Sand Point Gallery and by 3D4M (3 Dimensional Forum) students through Feb. 25 in the Ceramic and Metal Arts Building.

Scholarships for Scholars XIII, 6-8:30 p.m., Feb. 5. The 13th annual open house and fundraiser supporting 3D4M graduate students, including student exhibitions, a silent auction and a raffle featuring faculty work. Learn more and RSVP online; email Professor Jamie Walker for more information. Admission is $40.

Next week: The School of Music goes modern.

Ashley Allen

Dalton Broback, left, and Parker Kennedy in the Undergraduate Theater Society’s production of Lanford Wilson’s “Burn This,” through Feb. 3 in the Hutchinson Hall Cabaret.

There’s a lot going on as we inaugurate another week of UW arts. The Henry Art Gallery opens a new exhibit, a classical pianist performs Nirvana and Radiohead and the visiting Compagnie Marie Chouinard continues the campus celebration of “The Rite of Spring.”

Plus, the Undergraduate Theater Society opens the drama “Burn This” by Lanford Wilson and the Jacob Lawrence Gallery presents photos from the Spanish Civil War.

“Critical Issues in Contemporary Art: Jason Dodge,” 7 p.m., Jan. 24. The School of Art presents the second in a series of free public lectures in the Henry Art Gallery Auditorium. Berlin-based American artist Dodge will discuss his art. Free and open to the public. Presented by the Nebula Project; learn more online.

Play: “Burn This,” 7:30 p.m., Jan. 24 – Feb. 3. The Undergraduate Theater Society presents a drama by Lanford Wilson, directed by Mary Hubert, in the Hutchinson Hall Cabaret Theater. The New York Times called the play, “the late Lanford Wilson’s love letter to bad boys and the women (and men) who crush on them.” Learn more on Facebook. Tickets $5-$10.

Marie Chouinard

Compagnie Marie Chouinard will perform at 8 p.m., Jan. 24-26, in Meany Hall.

Compagnie Marie Chouinard, 8 p.m., Jan. 24-26. Press notes state the choreography of this Montreal artist “explores the poetics of the body in immediate and ever-surprising ways,” and the New York Times called her “a hurricane of unbridled imaginativeness.” The program will include Chouinard’s rendition of “The Rite of Spring” with music by the UW Symphony Orchestra. Also, “24 Preludes by Chopin,” with accompaniment by pianist Brooks Tran, a UW School of Music doctoral student. (Recommended for mature audiences; this performance contains partial nudity.) Presented in Meany Hall by the UW World Series and ArtsUW’s ongoing Rite of Spring Centennial Celebration. Tickets $38-$42. Pre-show conversation starts at 7:10 p.m.

Sandpoint Studios Open House, 7:30-9 p.m., Jan. 24. Masters of Fine Arts students from the painting and drawing program open their studios in Magnuson Park to the public. Visitors can see finished and in-progress work and talk with students about their artistic process. There will be an exhibition of faculty-selected work in the adjacent Sandpoint Gallery. Free parking and refreshments provided.

“Garland (miniature version),” by Simryn Gill, Part of the Henry Art Gallery’s “Now Here is Also Nowhere, Part II” exhibit, through May 5 in the Stroum Gallery.

“Now Here is Also Nowhere, Part II,” Jan. 26 to May 5. The second half of a two-part exhibit in the Henry Art Gallery’s Stroum Gallery that advance notes state is a “meditation and nonlinear account of how — in making artworks about ideas and intangible concepts — artists continually question and destabilize the nature of the art object.” Pieces in the exhibit “are ephemeral, immaterial, and embrace contingency; many of them are the result of orchestrated private and/or public actions. The works act as a reminder that the desire to pose questions and address issues related to mind, body and soul are central to artistic practice.”

• Henry “Art Break” tour, noon, Jan. 30: Staff, faculty and affiliates are invited to take an art break and explore the museum with a 30-minute tour. Free with admission.

Christopher O’Riley

Pianist Christopher O’Riley, 8 p.m., Jan. 28; 7:30 p.m., Jan. 29.  O’Riley, host of NPR’s classical music show “From the Top,” will perform two programs, including works by Mozart, Berlioz, Nirvana and Radiohead. NPR press notes state, “From his groundbreaking transcriptions of popular music artists to his unforgettably sublime and critically-acclaimed interpretations of the classical canon, brilliant and engaging pianist Christopher O’Riley has stretched the piano beyond conventional boundaries.”

The Jan. 28 concert, “Out of My Hands,” is in the Meany Studio Theatre. Tickets are $15. The Jan. 29 concert is in Meany Hall proper. Tickets are $37 – $41. 206-543-4880.

Agusti Centelles

An assault guard takes cover behind dead horses in Barcelona, July 19, 1936.

Spanish Civil War photographs by Agustí Centelles, through Feb. 16.  An exhibit in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery of 40 photographs taken by Centelles during the Spanish Civil War and captivity at the Bram internment camp. The negatives were hidden in a suitcase for decades in the French city of Carcassonne until the photographer retrieved them in 1976. Watch a video of Centelles photos.

• Next week: The Julliard String Quartet returns to Meany after 20 years.

Steve Korn

The cast of “The Rite of Spring” in rehearsal. The dance will be one of three performed in “Faculty Dance/Collaborations” Jan. 18-19 in Meany Hall.

“The Rite of Spring” has come a long way since its dissonant music and modernist choreography caused a riot at its 1913 premiere in Paris and the New York Times announced “Parisians Hiss New Ballet.” The UW audience is expected to be somewhat friendlier when the piece is performed with new choreography by Jürg Koch as part of the Faculty Dance/Collaborations, Jan. 18 and 19 in Meany Hall.

“The score is iconic and brilliant,” Betsy Cooper, director of the UW Dance Program, wrote in a statement about the UW production. “It begs to be worked with. The themes of birth, sacrifice and regeneration are universal and primal.” The event also represents collaboration among UW arts departments, involving talents from music and drama as well as dance.

The dance concert leads a busy week of UW arts that also includes exhibits, lectures, the start of a series on world Jewish music and the School of Drama working with Book-It Repertory to stage famous novels. UW arts are a riot, too — but, you know, in a good way.

“Critical Issues in Contemporary Art,” Jan. 17-March 14. The School of Art presents a series of free public lectures, each at 7 p.m. in the Henry Art Gallery Auditorium. Lectures are Jan. 17, 24; Feb. 14, 21, 28; March 7, 14. The first will be Raymond Boisjoly of the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. The second lecture is by artist Jason Dodge. Presented by the Nebula Project; learn more online.

Novel Workshop Series: UW Drama and Book-It Repertory, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 17-20. A series of readings performed by UW Masters of Fine Arts acting students in collaboration with members of Book-It. In the Meany Studio Theater. Tickets $10, 206-543-4880.

• Jan. 17, 19: “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexander Dumas, adapted by Rachel Atkins, directed by David Quicksall. Also, “Run” by Ann Patchett, adapted and directed by Myra Platt.
• Jan 18, 20: “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” by Michael Chabon, adapted by Jeff Schwager, directed by Josh Aaseng. Also, “Portrait of a Lady” by Henry James, adapted and directed by Annie Lareau.

“Jazz Forum” covers, through Jan. 29, lecture Jan. 17. A touring exhibit in Allen Library’s north lobby of jazz album covers created between 1970 and 1981 by Polish-born artist Rafal Olbiński between 1970 and 1981, capturing part of the history of jazz behind the Iron Curtain. Sponsored by the UW Polish Studies Endowment Committee. Olbiński will give a public lecture at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 17, in the Walker Ames Room of Kane Hall.

New Voices in World Jewish Music Series, Jan. 17-March 14. Sephardic music traditions from around the world are finding fresh interpretations via a new generation of performers, three of whom will visit the UW this quarter as part of this series, presented by the UW’s Stroum Jewish Studies Program and Sephardic Studies Initiative. Through conversations with faculty and live performances, the artists will showcase their roots in places ranging from medieval Spain to Greece, Turkey, Iran and Jerusalem.

The series begins Jan. 17 with singer Sarah Aroeste in conversation with Devin Naar, assistant professor of Jewish studies and history, at the Ethnic Cultural Theater. Inspired by her family’s Sephardic roots in Greece and Macedonia, the American-born Aroeste, trained in classical opera, brings a contemporary style of original and traditional Ladino music to audiences around the world. Her style combines traditional Mediterranean Sephardic sounds with contemporary influences such as rock, funk jazz and blues. Lectures are at 7 p.m. Jan. 17, Feb. 10 and March 14 at various locations. Learn more online.

Faculty Dance/Collaborations, 7:30 p.m., Jan 18-19. UW faculty provide choreography, music and costumes for this performance in Meany Hall by advanced student, professional and community dancers. On the  program is Igor Stravinsky’s iconic “The Rite of Spring” (choreographed by Koch), José Limón’s tribute to Isadora Duncan, “Dances for Isadora” and the premiere of “A Small Piece of the Story” (choreographed by Jennifer Salk). Read more about the concert in the latest issue of Perspectives. Tickets $10-$18.

• Other events in the UW’s “Rite of Spring” Centennial Celebration continue into May. Next up is the UW World Series presentation of Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Jan. 24-26 in Meany Hall. The program includes choreographer Chouinard’s rendition of “The Rite of Spring” with music by the UW Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jonathan Pasternack, and “24 Preludes by Chopin,” performed with accompaniment by pianist Brooks Tran, a School of Music doctoral student.
  

Spanish Civil War photographs by Agustí Centelles, Jan. 22-Feb. 16.  An exhibit in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery featuring 40 photographs taken by Centelles during the Spanish Civil War and captivity at the Bram internment camp. The negatives were hidden in a suitcase for decades in the French city of Carcassonne until the photographer retrieved them in 1976. Opening reception is 4-7 p.m. Jan. 22, in the gallery. (The exhibit is titled “Centelles> in_edit_¡oh!“ — a sort of play on the Spanish word “inédito,” meaning “unpublished.”) Watch a video of Centelles photos.

• James Fernandez of New York University will give a lecture titled “Archives Without Borders” Jan. 22 at 3:30 p.m. in Room 105 of Smith Hall.
  

Sandpoint Studios Open House, 7:30-9 p.m., Jan. 24. Masters of Fine Arts students from the Painting and Drawing program open their studios in Magnuson Park to the public. Visitors can see finished and in-progress work and talk with students about their artistic process. There will be an exhibition of faculty-selected work in the adjacent Sandpoint Gallery. Free parking and refreshments provided.

Play: “Burn This,” Jan. 24 – Feb. 3. The Undergraduate Theater Society presents a drama by Lanford Wilson, directed by Mary Hubert, in the Hutchinson Hall Cabaret Theater. Tickets $5-$10.

The tribute, “All Labor that Uplifts Humanity Has Dignity,” will include music, singing, dancing, poetry reading, community volunteer recognition and the keynote “We are One: Worker Rights are Civil Rights” by Elana Perez, of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21. Performers will include the Eickstein Middle School Senior Jazz Band, NW Tap Connection and Musicians of the UW School of Medicine.

The event, sponsored by Health Sciences Administration and University of Washington Medical Center, is free and open to all.

So too are opportunities to volunteer.

The UW’s Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center, for example, is partnering again with United Way of King County to connect UW volunteers with 80 community service projects  on Monday, Jan. 21.

The day of volunteering starts with a kick-off event, 8 to 9 a.m. in the HUB ballroom.

“Gather together with us on the morning of Martin Luther King Day for some inspirational words to set the tone, for some coffee and pastries to add some fuel and for event t-shirts so you look cool, and a chance to connect before heading off to serve,” it says on the Carlson center site about the day’s events.

After the kick-off, volunteers will fan out across the region to work on community projects identified by local nonprofits. Some 2,000 volunteers are needed and sign-ups are still underway, although services projects are filling up fast, according to information from the Carlson center.

A number of other events and service opportunities are planned by various UW units. These include the following.

–Harborview Medical Center, Thursday, Jan. 17
The program “Living the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Right to Dream,” will be held noon to 1 p.m., in the Harborview Medical Center Research & Training Building Auditorium.  In a retrospective, Marcel Davis of Living Voices will perform in front of a video display.  The event will also include speeches, a video of Harborview employees volunteering in the community and a coffee reception. On Jan. 21, a group of Harborview employees will prepare a meal for people in need at a community service center in Seattle’s Pioneer Square.

–UW School of Law, Friday, Jan. 18
New York Times best-selling author Michelle Alexander speaks 10 to 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 18, in Room 115 of William H. Gates Hall. A civil rights lawyer, advocate and legal scholar, Alexander is the author of “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.” RSVP to gatespsl@uw.edu.

–UW Bothell, Saturday, Jan. 19
UW Bothell is teaming up with Cascadia Community College to hold its fourth annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Volunteers will perform service at 10 sites in and around Bothell. Tasks range from food collection to yard work to working with children with disabilities.

–Evans School of Public Affairs, Monday, Jan. 21
Evans School of Public Affairs student groups GreenEvans and Partners for Community & Diversity are joining EarthCorps, the Green Seattle Partnership, Service for Peace, City Year, YMCA EarthService Corps and Seattle Parks and Recreation in ongoing restoration of the 43-acre Cheasty Greenspace from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

–Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, Monday, Jan. 21
The UW’s newly renovated Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center celebrated its grand opening last week, and its staff needs help moving into the new space. Volunteers can join Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity staff and students to develop materials such as bulletin boards and resource binders and assist in other tasks to make the center fully functional.

–UW Tacoma, Monday, Jan. 21
The annual Unity Breakfast, 8 to 10:30 a.m., in William W. Philip Hall, includes community Dream Awards, local performing artists and keynote speaker Carolyn McKinstry, a survivor of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.  Space for the Unity Breakfast is limited to the first 300 paid registrants. UW Tacoma has also put together a list of service and educational opportunities taking place throughout the week of January 21 to commemorate Martin Luther King’s message of service.

Rebecca Chernow

This image, titled “Distortion Device,” is part of the student art exhibit “Extravagant Extravaganza” at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery

UW arts are warming up in this chilly winter week on campus. Art exhibits abound and the School of Drama once again teams with Book-it Repertory to present staged readings of famous novels.

Also, there will be a film screening to kick off the UW’s “‘Rite of Spring’ Centennial Celebration,” about the riotously controversial 1913 ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky. Part of this, too, is the Faculty Dance/Collaborations performance Jan. 18-19 in Meany Hall.

New Voices in World Jewish Music Series, Jan. 17-March 14. Sephardic music traditions from around the world are finding fresh interpretations via a new generation of performers, three of whom will visit the UW this quarter as part of this series, presented by the UW’s Stroum Jewish Studies Program and Sephardic Studies Initiative. Through conversations with faculty and live performances, the artists will showcase their roots in places ranging from medieval Spain to Greece, Turkey, Iran and Jerusalem. Lectures are at 7 p.m. Jan. 17, Feb. 10 and March 14 at various locations. Learn more online.

Sarah Aroeste

The series begins Jan. 17 with singer Sarah Aroeste in conversation with Devin Naar, assistant professor of Jewish studies and history, at the Ethnic Cultural Theater. Inspired by her family’s Sephardic roots in Greece and Macedonia, the American-born Aroeste, trained in classical opera, brings a contemporary style of original and traditional Ladino music to audiences around the world. Her style combines traditional Mediterranean Sephardic sounds with contemporary influences such as rock, funk jazz and blues.

Student art exhibit: “Extravagant Extravaganza,” through Jan. 19. An exhibit of art produced by first-year Master of Fine Arts students in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery. Gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

School of Art faculty exhibit, through Feb. 6. Art by three faculty members — David Brody and Philip Govedare (painting and drawing) and Ellen Garvens (Photomedia) — and Norman Lundin, professor emeritus in an exhibit at the Bellevue College Gallery Space, organized by Lundin.

This oil by an unnamed artist titled “The Scream” is part of the exhibit now at the School of Social Work

Art exhibit, School of Social Work, through March 4. An exhibit of paintings, drawings and photographs by members of the nonprofit Circle of Friends for Mental Health. There will be an artists’ reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17, at the School of Social Work First Floor Gallery.

2012 Design Program in Rome photographs, through March 23. A sampling of photographs taken by students participating in the program abroad, which was led by Christopher Ozubko, professor and director of the UW School of Art. In the UW Club’s Colleen Rorhbaugh Room. Viewing hours normally 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. but call first, 206-543-0437.

Exhibit: “Intangible Effects (No. 1),” through Jan. 20. Tad Hirsch, UW professor of interactive design and several School of Art alumni are part of “Mw [Moment Magnitude]” at the Frye Art Museum. Hirsch’s part, titled “Intangible Effects (No. 1),” debuted at the museum in December and centers on Seattle’s Yesler Terrace public housing development. Hirsch wrote in Arcade: Dialogue on Design that his project is “the first in a series of experiments investigating ephemeral and sensual aspects of the built environment.” There will be a day of celebration on Jan. 12 for the area youth and UW students who worked on the project. Learn more online at the museum and Hirsch’s Public Practice Studio website.

The Reconstruction of Nijinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” 7 p.m., Jan. 11. A screening of the one-hour PBS documentary “The Search for Nijinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’“ on the historical significance of the piece and its reconstruction by the Joffrey Ballet in 1987. Followed by a Q & A with UW School of Music and Dance Program faculty. Admission is free, in the Henry Art Gallery.

This is the first event in the UW’s “Rite of Spring” Centennial Celebration, which will continue with lectures and performances through spring quarter. Other events in the series coming soon:

• Faculty Dance/Collaborations, Jan. 18-19, Meany Hall.
• UW World Series: Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Jan.24-26, Meany Hall.

Novel Workshop Series: UW Drama and Book-It Repertory, 7:30 p.m., Jan. 17-20. A series of readings performed by UW Masters of Fine Arts acting students in collaboration with members of Book-It. In the Meany Studio Theater. Tickets $10, 206-543-4880.

• Jan. 17, 19: “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexander Dumas, adapted by Rachel Atkins, directed by David Quicksall. Also, “Run” by Ann Patchett, adapted and directed by Myra Platt.
• Jan 18, 20: “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” by Michael Chabon, adapted by Jeff Schwager, directed by Josh Aaseng. Also, “Portrait of a Lady” by Henry James, adapted and directed by Annie Lareau.

“Designing Facebook,” 7 p.m., Jan. 17. Three School of Art alumni — Joey Flynn, Drew Hamlin and Francis Luu — discuss their experiences as product designers working in Facebook’s California headquarters. In Room 3 of the Art Building. RSVP for this event at — you guessed it.

“Critical Issues in Contemporary Art,” Jan. 17, lectures through March 14. The School of Art presents a free public lecture series, each at 7 p.m. in the Henry Art Gallery. The first will be Raymond Boisjoly of the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Other lectures continue through March 14. Learn more online.

“Tarot.” an oil on canvas by Abraham Murley, part of the MFA student exhibit now at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery.

It’s a slow week in UW arts as the campus awakens to a new year. Still, there are exhibits aplenty to take in, and much more to come.

MFA student exhibit, Jan. 8-19. The School of Art holds an exhibit of art by students in their first quarter of study, in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery. Public reception is 4-7 p.m. Jan. 8, in the gallery.

The exhibit features selections from Correll’s recently donated collection at the Labor Archives of Washington. In the Special Collections basement lobby and Allen Library North’s first floor balcony. Learn more from UW Libraries’ “PNW Blog,” and watch a UW Libraries video slide show of the work online.

Ongoing at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture:

“Plastics Unwrapped,” through May 27. The Burke takes a look at our relationship with plastics, past and present. “In order to counter the impact of plastic waste, we need to rethink our relationship with plastics,” advance notes for the exhibit say. “Discover how, at ‘Plastics Unwrapped.’” The Burke also will hold “Short Takes on Plastics” on Feb. 5. Learn more online.

Ongoing at the Henry Art Gallery:

“Now Here is Also Nowhere, Part 1” closes on Jan. 6. “Like a Valentine: The Art of Jeffry Mitchell” runs through Jan. 27. “Collected Stories: Books by Laurie Anderson” runs through Feb. 3. “En plein air” runs through Feb. 16. “Pipilotti Rist: A la belle étoile” runs through March 24.

Next week: School of Drama, Book-it Repertory team up for a novel approach to theater.

Fisherman by first-year orthodontics resident Blake Davis.

Dr. Blake Davis’ design of an angler hooking a catch from a boat has won the School of Dentistry’s annual Department of Orthodontics sculpture contest. Dr. Soleil Roberts’ wire bust of an ancient Egyptian queen was voted runner-up.

Since 1966, the department has conducted the contest for its first-year residents. Entries are judged by popular vote, and competitors must use predominantly orthodontic materials, such as wire, rubber bands and dental acrylic.

Previous contests have included sculptures of a guitar, a geisha figure, a model town, the Eiffel Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, a strand of DNA and the Lion King.

Nefertiti by first-year orthodontics resident Soleil Roberts.

Inspiration for the contest came indirectly from the late Dr. Ben Moffett, a School of Dentistry professor emeritus of orthodontics. In the 1960s, he took a UW art class in form and function and found the material so useful that he arranged for weekly lectures on the subject at the School of Dentistry. That in turn led to the contest.

Burke Museum

The Burke Museum’s new exhibit, “Plastics Unwrapped,” runs from Dec. 20 to May 27, 2013.

The campus is settling into a holiday-induced calm as finals week draws to a close, but there are still things to see. This week brings Medieval chanting in Mary Gates Hall and a major new exhibit on plastics at the Burke Museum.

Also, campus arts groups offer ticket packages for that arts-lover who has everything except good seats to the UW World Series events and School of Drama shows.

Collegium Musicum: “Medieval Chant and Early English Carols,” 4 p.m., Dec. 16. This early music ensemble under the direction of JoAnn

Taricani, associate professor of music, will perform in Mary Gates Hall.  Taricani writes, “The music includes some of the earliest medieval chant from Italy, around the year 1000 in Italy, intricate Latin motets from Paris, around 1200, and English carols from 18^th century Cornwall for voice and guitar.” Free. For more information, contact Taricani at taricani@uw.edu.

“Plastics Unwrapped,” Dec. 20-May 27, 2013. Humans existed without plastics for centuries, but now we rely on them to meet our basic needs. They help us stay healthy, yet they linger, in landfills for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture takes a look at our relationship with plastics, past and present. “In order to counter the impact of plastic waste, we need to rethink our relationship with plastics,” advance notes for the exhibit say. “Discover how, at ‘Plastics Unwrapped.’”

• The museum will hold holiday events in relation to this exhibit on Dec. 20-21 and 27-30.
• There also will be an event titled “Short Takes on Plastics” on Feb. 5, 2013. Ten experts on plastics will have six minutes and 20 slides each to discuss a range of topics including the unwanted effects of plastics on our health, cultures and environment. Learn more online.

UW arts gifts: The School of Drama asks, “Are you looking for a small holiday feel-good gift that’s easy to wrap and as much pleasure to give as to receive?” They suggest their Drama Flex Pass, which grants six admissions to the school’s main stage productions.

They’re not alone. UW Arts and the Alumni Association are teaming to offer alumni Arts Dawg, a discounted six-show package of arts tickets for music, dance, theater, exhibitions and visual arts. The UW World Series offers mini-series tickets (including two free youth tickets for every adult ticket bought to the International Chamber Music and President’s Piano Series), the UW Arts Ticket Office also offers gift certificates, and the School of Music has plenty of evenings of entertainment scheduled to choose from.